Grilled Wild Salmon Steak with Fennel Hash and Sweet Onion Sauce
Salmon steaks are shaped sort of like a horseshoe and have the bone left in the center. They’re really thick and meaty and don’t stick like fillets, which means they’re perfect for the grill. Wild salmon is preferable to that raised in fish farms, as it tends to be healthier for you and taste better. Be sure to remove all the little pin bones with a pair of tweezers or have your fish guy do it. With the bounty of produce on the planet, I gotta say onions are probably my favorite vegetable. They can be transformed in so many different ways. This onion sauce is so velvety you’d swear there is butter in it. The trick is to cook the onions low and slow so they don’t brown or caramelize. This fennel hash is also killer with steak or eggs in the morning.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Sweet Onion Sauce
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare the hash: Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for only 5 minutes; you want the potatoes to hold their shape and not cook all the way through, as they will continue to cook later. Drain and set aside.
Step 2
Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill until very hot, or put a grill pan over medium-high heat.
Step 3
Put a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter is foamy, add the fennel and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften and start to get some color, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and potatoes and crank the heat up to high. The potatoes will suck up a lot of oil, so add the remaining tablespoon butter now. Cook, gently stirring only occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 4
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and rub with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. You’ll make less smoke in your kitchen if you oil the fish and not the pan. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with a fair amount of salt and pepper as well as the ground fennel. Lay the salmon steaks on the grill. Be patient—don’t move the fish around. Instead, give it time to sear and form a crust, 2 to 3 minutes; the salmon will let you know when it is ready to be flipped because it won’t stick to the grill. Flip and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes for medium-rare.
Step 5
To serve, pool 1/4 cup of the onion sauce on each of 4 plates, lay the fish on top, and spoon the hash on the side.
Sweet Onion Sauce
Step 6
Put a pot over medium heat and coat with the 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, thyme, and bay leaf; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, or until fragrant, but do not let the onion brown. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook gently for 30 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the liquid has not completely evaporated and the onion is soupy; add a little stock if needed to keep the onion moist.
Step 7
Remove the thyme and bay leaf. Transfer the onion to a blender and pulse until slightly chunky. Add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and puree until the sauce is thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. The onion sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Reheat gently before serving.
