Salmon Marinated in Mint and Basil with Summer Vegetable Gratin
- Grated zest of ½ lemon
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
- Kosher salt
- ¼ pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
- ¼ pound thin string beans, trimmed
- ¼ pound zucchini, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch dice
- ¼ pound flat-leaf spinach, trimmed of thick stems, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
- 1 ear corn, husked
- ¼ pound leeks, white part only, trimmed of roots and tough outer leaves, thinly sliced crosswise and swirled vigorously in a bowl of cold water to remove any grit
- 1 baking potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lemon, halved
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
- ½ cup toasted bread crumbs
Instructions:
This is a lovely decadent dish whose major effort goes into a rich gratin of summer vegetables with cream.
- In a shallow dish, toss the lemon zest with 2 tablespoons of the mint, 2 tablespoons of the basil, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Rub the mixture on the salmon. Marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water—it should be large enough to hold all of the vegetables. One at a time, briefly blanch the snap peas, string beans, zucchini, spinach, and the ear of corn in the boiling water, then plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking. The goal is to cook everything just to the point where an element of crispness still remains. The snap peas and string beans will take 1 to 2 minutes, the zucchini about a minute; the spinach only 15 to 30 seconds, and the corn 2 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and use a sharp knife to strip the corn kernels from the cob. Discard the cob.
- Fill a small pot with salted water. Add the leeks and potato, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Plunge into the ice water with the other vegetables. Drain and dry all the vegetables.
- Toss the blanched vegetables (including the corn) in a bowl with 1 tablespoon each of the remaining mint and basil, the cream, and the juice of half the lemon. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Spread the vegetables in a 1-inch layer in a gratin dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Toss with the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Spread over the vegetables. Bake the gratin until the vegetables are tender and the cream is bubbling, about 10 minutes.
- While the gratin is baking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salmon liberally with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, almost smoking, add the salmon fillets (the side that used to have the skin on it should be up) and sear until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Do not try to move the fillets until they’ve gotten a good sear, or they’ll stick to the pan. Cook them on one side only. Remove from the heat.
- As soon as the gratin finishes baking, set the salmon fillets, seared side up, on top of the gratin. Return to the oven until the fish is cooked to medium, another 10 minutes or so. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the fish and garnish with the mint sprigs. Serve immediately.