Before the Meat Season, Fall for Fish
Beware, for we are about to enter the carnivorous season. The months ahead promise both the white and the dark turkey, plates piled high with ham, trays of meaty canapés, and perhaps the occasional holiday steak dinner.
Normally, the typical American carnivore rejoices at this time of year. We tuck in the bib, place a large napkin on the lap, and break out the expandable pants in anticipation of the annual gorging of protein. So you put on a few pounds, no big deal. That’s what New Year’s resolutions are for, right? In the meantime, the weather has turned, the bathing suits are packed away until June, and you have plenty of bulky sweaters to hide behind.
Minor problem: this whole global warming thing doesn’t seem to want to go away. So the sweaters have hardly seen the light of day yet this fall. Although wool sweaters are terrific disguises for that holiday bulk, wearing one in 75-degree weather might make people look at you funny.
Solution: for at least the time being, put the turkey leg aside. There is still a place for the lighter and more figure-friendly fish at the fall table. It is possible that after a summer of ceviche and grilled branzino, the aquatic creatures have become a bore. If that is the case, then it is time to give the fish course a makeover for the holidays. You can still feel seasonally appropriate, but you'll know that you'll still fit into those skinny black pants in the morning.
In winter we thrive on long braised meat dishes paired with heavy sauces of reduced stock and red wine. Fish cannot really handle the same treatment. Although fattier sauces such as brown butter with trout or a cream sauce with sole are always delicious, a fish does not necessarily need a heart attack-inducing sauce to bring it up to par with fall’s meats.
One of the best interpretations I have had of a seasonal fish was years ago on a crisp autumn evening at the legendary haunt Raoul’s in New York. It is a time of year when sauerkraut is paired with brats and beer and it is the sort of restaurant where steak au poivre finds its way onto almost every table. Yet there I was, so intrigued by their salmon special paired with seasoned sauerkraut and carrot puree that I couldn't have cared less what everyone else was ordering. The acidic bite of the sauerkraut was the perfect foil to the richness of the salmon. And when paired with the sweet carrot puree with its hint of cardamom, the end result was a harmonious blend of some of fall’s best flavors.
If sauerkraut is not your thing, there are many other ways to doctor a typical summer fish dish to give a more autumnal flair. First, ditch the steamed baby vegetables: that is so Spring. Try instead halibut paired with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and medley of sautéed mushrooms. If the accompaniment is risotto, lose the peas and instead fold in a puree of butternut squash. Crust a fillet of fish with breadcrumbs and nuts. Stuff the cavity of a whole cooked bass with rosemary and serve it alongside roasted root vegetables.
The key to transforming your fish for the holidays is to use the same earthy, smokey, nutty flavors you find in the carnivorous dishes, but use a lighter touch to enhance and not overwhelm the fish it is with.
The holidays won’t wait for the weather to change and neither should you. There will be plenty of time to bust out the expandable pants and sidle up to a plate of protein. In the meantime, you might as well enjoy fall’s flavors just in the form of a fish. That way, you can keep the sweaters packed away, and take confidence in the hope that you will fit into your dress for this year’s holiday party.
Made with salt and pepper, fillets of salmon, carrots, onion, vegetable oil, white wine, water, cardamom, butter, sauerkraut
Serves/Makes: 4
- 1 1/4 pound carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 jar (16 ounce size) sauerkraut, drained
- 4 fillets of salmon (4 ounce size), pin bones removed
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Peel carrots and cut into pieces about 1 inch long. Peel and finely dice onion.
Heat oil in a large shallow saucepan over medium heat. Add half of onion along with carrot and cardamom and saute for about 5 minutes until onion is soft. Add wine and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low.
Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until carrots are very soft. Add more water if necessary while carrots cook so there is about a cup of liquid left at the end of cooking.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add other half of diced onion and saute for a couple of minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add the drained sauerkraut, and stir to combine until sauerkraut is heated through.
Heat oil over medium high heat in a large saute pan. Add more oil if necessary so that the pan is coated. Crack some pepper on the skin side of the salmon and place salmon skin side down. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until you can see the fat start to melt on the sides of the salmon.
Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking. Sprinkle salt and some cracked pepper on the flesh side of the salmon. When salmon is almost cooked through, turn fillets over just to remove the pink from the flesh side, about one more minute.
To finish the dish, puree the carrots in a blender and season with salt and pepper. Add more wine or vegetable stock for a thinner puree.
To assemble, mound a small pile in the middle of a plate and top with a salmon fillet. Surround salmon with a couple tablespoons of puree on either side of the plate.
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