Ireland: Two Salmon Entrees

The salmon is described in the old poems as the "Chieftain of the Fish of Ireland", and has always been referred to down the centuries with affection and respect for its beauty, cunning, power... and good taste.

Irish salmon is unquestionably some of the best in the world, if not the best. Every day, tens of thousands of travelers passing through Irish airports for other destinations, east and west, pick up a side of smoked or cured wild Irish salmon to take home. What they unfortunately cannot take home with them (yet!) is fresh salmon, just out of the river or the sea that morning. But these recipes will enable you to get as close as you can to the taste of our unparallelled salmon as visitors here experience it, fresh from the unpolluted Irish waters.

The recipe for a whole poached salmon adds a buttery sauce with fennel, always one of Ireland's favorite herbs. The recipe for grilled salmon steaks recalls the Salmon of Knowledge that the hero Finn roasted by the mystical Pool of the Nine Hazels. There the ancient salmon of the pool fed on the magic hazelnuts dropping from the trees into the water, storing up in their flesh all the wisdom of the world...and possibly establishing for later millennia the tradition that "fish is brain food." ...Click "read more" for the recipes.

Poached Whole Salmon with Buttery Fennel Sauce

• 1 Large salmon, 3½ - 4kg (8-10lb)

For the poaching liquid:

• 2 liters (3½ UK pints / 2 quarts) Water

• 2 tbsp Fennel Sprigs, finely chopped
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

• 450g (1lb) Butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

• 235ml (8 fluid ounces) poaching liquid
• 235ml (8 fluid ounces) White Wine
• 2-3 Shallots, very finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Fennel Sprigs, chopped fine
• 2 tbsp Double Cream
• Salt and White Pepper, to taste

Place the poaching liquid in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and leave to cool and strain.

Clean and (if necessary) gut the salmon. Place in a long fish poacher, and add enough of the poaching liquid to just cover the fish.

Place the poacher on the stove, bring to the boil and then simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes per 450g (1lb).

About ten minutes before cooking is complete, remove from the heat and allow to finish cooking in the liquid. The fish should feel firm to the touch but easily pierced with a skewer. Remove the salmon when cooled slightly, reserving liquid.

Peel the skin from the middle of the salmon, leaving the head and tail ends in place, and decorate with wisps of fennel.

Then, to make the sauce: Combine the strained poaching liquid and wine in a saucepan, add the shallots and bring to the boil. Simmer until the shallots becomes tender. Remove from the heat and add the cream, then return to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Slowly whisk in the butter the cold butter, piece by piece. Heat only over a very low heat, and only if needed. When all the butter is combined, bring the sauce just back to the boil, whisking constantly.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the chopped fennel. Season to taste.

Serve with the sauce and boiled potatoes, seasonal vegetables or salad. Serves 12.

Salmon with Hazelnuts:

Per guest:

• 1 salmon steak around 1 inch thick

• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place hazelnuts on baking sheet; bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Quickly transfer nuts to clean dry dish towel. Fold towel over nuts; rub vigorously to remove as much of skins as possible. Using food processor, finely chop hazelnuts; then set aside.

Lay the steak(s) on an oiled broiler rack or oiled foil-lined baking tray. Brush the steaks with oil or dot with butter; season with salt and pepper. Cook under a pre-heated high broilder for 4 minutes on each side. On turning the steaks, brush with a little oil or butter on the new top side.

Thirty seconds minute before the second side of the fishis done, remove the steaks from under the grill and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Return under the grill just for a few seconds more to heat the nuts through. Watch them carefully to make sure they don't burn, as if they do, they will taste bitter.

Serve the steaks immediately. An optional touch, if desired: make a vinaigrette of 2 parts hazelnut oil / 1 part cider or balsamic vinegar / 1/2 part Irish whiskey: hand around to the guests to drizzle over the salmon just before eating.

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