Seared Salmon w/ Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Parsnip-Carrot Puree
A few months ago, I became an affiliate for the incredible wine shop Vesper Wine in my hometown of Houston, TX. After speaking with and getting to know James Oliver, the shop’s owner, we have teamed up in order to bring you incredible wines paired with equally incredible dishes.
James was gracious enough to gift me a few bottles to sample and to create dishes that not only look beautiful, but compliment the flavor profile of each wine.
You can find a discount code at the bottom of this post!
The first pairing comes from Six Degrees Cellars in California. This 2019 chardonnay has a rich flavor with hints of apple and honey as well as a nice oak aroma. With a more subtle flavor profile, chardonnays are best paired with lighter dishes that will not overpower the wine.
Parsnip-Carrot Puree
Parsnips have a gentle, sweet flavor that I would best describe as a potato if it was cooked with honey which in my opinion perfectly compliments the flavor profile of a chardonnay. Sometimes parsnips can be a little too sweet however, so the carrots in the puree tone down the sugars and it also adds some color to the dish.
Ingredients:
1 lb parsnips
1 lb carrots
1 QT half & half
¼ yellow onion, diced small
¼ cup unsalted butter
Salt & ground white pepper
Instructions:
Cut the carrots and parsnips into smaller pieces, making sure to keep them similar in size so they’ll cook evenly
In a small sauce pot, melt the butter and sweat the onions over low heat until translucent
Add the parsnips, carrots, salt, and white pepper, and the half & half
Simmer on low heat until the carrots and parsnips are soft. Carrots may take a little longer than the parsnips
Once cooked, add the parsnips and carrots into a blender, slowly adding the half and half they were cooked in until the puree is smooth. These are not meant to be mashed potatoes and should have the consistency of very thick soup.
Maple-Mustard Roasted Baby Brussels Sprouts
When I first got the oak-y aroma from the wine, I immediately thought of the oak barrels used in Vermont to store maple syrup and knew I would have to incorporate that flavor profile into the dish. The maple syrup also adds a fine, smoky flavor to compliment the subtle sweetness of the wine.
Ingredients:
2 lbs baby Brussels sprouts.
1 cup maple syrup (THE REAL STUFF, NOT CHEAP PANCAKE SYRUP)
2 TBSP whole grain mustard
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425ºF (400ºF in a convection oven)
Wash Brussels sprouts, cut off the bitter root end, and halve them
Toss the sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper and place into a cooking tray
Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sprouts are cooked through
While the sprouts are cooking, mix maple syrup and whole grain mustard
Once the sprouts are cooked, remove from oven and in a mixing bowl, toss with maple-mustard sauce
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Apple Chips
The Six Degrees Chardonnay has a nice apple flavor so it was a no brainer to incorporate apples in some manner, and these homemade apple chips are a great way to garnish the dish!
Ingredients:
1 apple (Fuji apples are great for this dish)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 225ºF
Remove the core of the apple using a corer
Slice the apple into thin segments. Use a mandolin if you have one to achieve equal thickness which will ensure even cooking.
Line them on an oven tray and cook for 2-3 hours.
When you pull them from the oven they may still be a little soft but they will become crispy once they cool down.
Pan Seared Salmon
The main attraction of the dish is of course the salmon. Although you are free to use conventionally farmed Atlantic salmon, living in the Pacific Northwest gives me access to richer, more flavorful sockeye salmon. Although sockeye is a bit more flavorful than Atlantic salmon, I found that it was not strong enough to overpower the wine.
Ingredients:
Salmon cut into 6oz portions
Canola oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Lemon
2 TBSP Butter
Instructions:
Heat up your pan on medium-high heat and add canola oil
Season salmon moderately with salt and pepper.
Place salmon skin side down into pan, making sure to press down on the middle of the filet with your finger for about 10-15 seconds to make sure the middle of the filet doesn’t curl inwards, preventing the skin from getting crispy.
Once the skin side is crispy, flip the fish in the pan with a fish spatula and add butter into the pan.
Tilt the pan and baste the salmon with the butter and oil. This will help the skin get crispier.
At the end, hit the salmon with a squeeze of lemon juice and allow to rest before assembling the dish
Enjoy!