Salmon w/ Black Quinoa & Cherries
Ingredients
- 1½-pound salmon fillet, skin on
For the Marinade
- 2 tbsp unsalted sweet butter
- 3 shallots (4 tbsp), minced (can substitute sweet white onion)
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped chervil
- ground white pepper to taste
For the Black Quinoa & Cherries
- 1 cup black quinoa
- 2 tbsp unsalted sweet butter
- olive oil to coat pan
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tsp chopped rosemary
- 1 celery stalk, peeled & chopped
- 1½ cups pitted & chopped dried cherries (can use fresh cherries)
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cups vegetable stock or broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 oz heavy cream
Garnish options
- fresh cherries
- fresh cilantro
How-to
Prepare Marinade
- Melt 2 tbsp unsalted sweet butter slowly over flow heat in an 8" saute pan
- Add minced shallots or onions, salt to taste
- Stir in fresh flat-leaf parsley, chervil, chives, chervil and tarragon, and white pepper to taste and set aside
Prepare & Bake Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 375º
- Place the salmon, skin side down, in a baking dish. Pour the marinade over the salmon. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 12-15 minutes (Tip: Cook fish about 10 minutes per 1" thickness of fish)
- Remove the salmon from the oven and lift it onto a cutting board. Cut it into equal pieces. Place on serving plates and spoon the baking juices over the pieces. Garnish with fresh cherries and a sprig of tarragon, if desired, and serve with black quinoa & cherries (recipe follows)
Make Black Quinoa & Cherries
(Quinoa Takes about 45 minutes to cook. Can be prepared a day ahead.)
- Preheat the oven to 350º
- Place the quinoa in a dry, medium-size saucepan over medium heat and toast for 4-5 minutes and set aside
- In a separate medium-sized oven-proof pot, over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp unsalted sweet butter and add olive oil to coat the pan
- Add the onion, stir to mix with butter and oil and cook for 3-4 minutes
- Add rosemary, celery and cherries, stir well, and cook for 1 minute
- Add minced garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds, stirring continuously, taking care not to burn the garlic
- Pour the toasted quinoa into the pot. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 cups vegetable stock or broth and bring to a simmer
- Add about 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper, 4 oz heavy cream
- Cover and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the quinoa has cracked and expanded, or “bloomed”
Assemble the Dish
- Plate the quinoa
- With a spatula, lift the salmon from the baking dish and place over the quinoa
- Spoon marinade from the baking dish over the salmon and garnish with fresh cilantro