King Salmon “Chowder” with Prince Edward Island Mussels, Braised Pork Belly and Tarragon Velouté

Recipe by Marc Johnson, Executive Chef at Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, California, USA
Photography by Caleb Rosenberg, ©Santa Lucia Preserve.

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1ea Filet of King Salmon
  
• 6ea PEI Mussels (steamed and shelled)
  
• 1 ounce Braised Pork Belly (diced)
  
• 1 ounce Yukon Gold Potatoes (diced and cooked)
  
• 2ea Cippolini Onions (roasted and cut in quarters)
  
• 3 ounces Tarragon Velouté (see recipe)
  
• Chives (minced, as needed for garnish)
  
• Chive Flowers (as needed for garnish)

Tarragon Velouté

• 2 Tablespoons Butter (softened)
  
• 3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
  
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
  
• 2 ounces Tarragon (picked from stem)
  
• Kosher Salt (to taste)
  
• White Pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Tarragon Velouté
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk together until the butter and flour mixture has tiny bubbles but does not turn brown (about 2 minutes). Whisk in 1 cup of the stock and continue to whisk until it is smooth and lump-free. Gradually whisk in the remaining cup of stock, salt, and pepper. Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a low boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Once the sauce reaches a low boil, keep whisking the sauce for 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender, add Tarragon, and blend on high for 1 minute. Pass the sauce through a fine mesh sieve immediately or pour it into a storage container.

King Salmon “Chowder” 
dish. Sear the king salmon in a cast iron pan and place in the oven until cooked medium-rare 120°F. While the salmon is cooking, sauté the mussels with some minced shallots and garlic. Add a little white wine and cover to steam the mussels open. Once the mussels have opened, pull the meat from the shell, reserve the cooking liquid, and discard the shells. In another sauté pan, cook the diced pork belly until slightly caramelized; add the potatoes, cipollini onions, mussels, and leftover liquid from the cooked mussels. Season with salt and pepper. 

Assembly

Spoon a small amount of the velouté into the bottom of a bowl. Place the pork belly/mussel mixture in the center of the velouté and top with the cooked salmon. Garnish the salmon with minced chives and chive flowers.

Wine Pairing

Domaine Vacheron Blanc Sancerre 2022

Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, California, USA.
Photography by Caleb Rosenberg, ©Santa Lucia Preserve.