Crispy Skin Salmon with Miso Beurre Blanc and Broccolini · Excerpt: Perfectly crisp salmon on a silky miso butter sauce, with charred broccolini and a zingy herb and shallot salad. Dinner party food in 30 minutes.
If I’m having friends over and want to look like I tried really hard (without actually trying that hard), this is what I cook. It all comes together in about half an hour, and it looks like something you’d order at a nice restaurant.
A classic French beurre blanc is just butter whisked into a wine and vinegar reduction. Adding a spoonful of white miso makes it savoury, nutty and a little bit addictive. Then there’s the crispy salmon, the smoky broccolini and a fresh tangle of herbs and shallot on top to keep it all bright.
Serves: 4 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the salmon and broccolini
- 4 salmon fillets (about 180 g each), skin on and pin-boned
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (rice bran or grapeseed)
- 2 bunches broccolini, ends trimmed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 lemon, halved, to serve
For the miso beurre blanc
- 1 eschalot, finely chopped
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) dry white wine
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp cream
- 1½ tbsp white (shiro) miso
- 125 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- A squeeze of lemon
For the herb salad
- 1 eschalot, very thinly sliced into rings
- 2 spring onions, finely shredded
- A big handful of coriander leaves
- A small handful of mint leaves
- 1 tbsp toasted slivered almonds
- 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp olive oil
Method
- Prep the salad. Soak the sliced eschalot and spring onion in iced water for 10 minutes. This makes them crisp and takes the harsh edge off. Drain and pat dry.
- Start the beurre blanc. Put the chopped eschalot, wine and vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer until there’s only about 2 tablespoons of liquid left. Add the cream and miso and whisk until smooth. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter a couple of cubes at a time, letting each lot melt before adding more. Never let it boil. Finish with lemon, then keep it somewhere warm (not hot) while you cook everything else.
- Char the broccolini. Toss the broccolini with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook it on a very hot chargrill pan or barbecue for 3–4 minutes, turning, until charred in spots and just tender.
- Cook the salmon. Pat the skin really dry and season it with salt. Heat the neutral oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay the salmon in skin-side down and press each fillet with a spatula for 10 seconds so it doesn’t curl. Cook for 4–5 minutes without moving it, until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the flesh has turned pale about two-thirds of the way up. Flip and cook for 1 minute more for medium.
- Dress the salad. Toss the eschalot, spring onion, coriander, mint and almonds with the lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Serve. Spoon a pool of the miso beurre blanc onto each plate. Lay the broccolini to one side and the salmon on top, skin up. Pile the herb salad on the salmon and add a lemon half. A few drops of good olive oil or chilli oil around the sauce look beautiful.
Tips
- If the beurre blanc looks like it’s splitting, take it off the heat and whisk in a splash of cold water or a cube of cold butter. It usually comes straight back.
- Miso is salty, so taste the sauce before adding any salt.
- Ocean trout works just as well here and is often a bit cheaper.
