Harvest Celebration Grilled Salmon
Here in wine country once harvest is done we can relax a little. The afternoons are sunny and warm inviting friends and neighbors to grill and eat together outside. This grilled Salmon with a Tarragon, Lemon Garlic Sauce combined with Harvest Tomatoes and Fingerling Potatoes brings together the colors and flavors of harvest and works so well with the wines of early evening.
Ingredients
- Tarragon, fresh, ground · 2 tablespoons
- Salmon fillets, about 4oz ea [F] · 4 pieces
- cloves Garlic, finely chopped · 4
- Extra virgin olive oil · 3 tablespoons
- Dry White Wine, Viognier, Sauv Blanc or Chardonnay · ½ cup
- Water · 1 cup
- Salt, course sea salt · 2 teaspoons
- Fingerling potatoes, Russian Banana or similar · 2 pounds
- Grape skin tomatoes, red & yellow · 1 pound
- Lemon zest · 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice · 2 tablespoons
- Pepper, black, fresh ground · ½ teaspoon
- Salt & ground black pepper to taste [F] ·
- Pepper, fresh ground, black [S] · ¼ teaspoon
- Salt [S] · ¼ teaspoon
- Butter, unsalted, softened · 2 tablespoons
- Tarragon, fresh, chopped [S] · 2 tablespoons
- Lemon zest, finely grated [S] · 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice [S] · 1 tablespoon
- cloves Garlic, minced [S] · 4
- Oive oil [S] · 2 tablespoons
- Dijon mustard [S] · 2 tablespoons
- Mayonnaise [S] · ½ cup
- Olive oil [F] · 2 tablespoons
Instructions
Make your sauce a couple of hours ahead of time using ingredients marked [S] and put in the fridge until ready to serve to let the ingredients meld. To make the sauce add the mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper in a basin. Whisk them all together and set it in the refrigerator.
The salmon fillets may be grilled or baked.
To Grill
Bring the grill up to high and let it get hot. Using ingredients marked [F], season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil then lightly oil the grill and place salmon on the grill skin side down. Cover the grill and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 8 to 10 minutes. Paint the top of the fillets with a little of the prepared sauce so it becomes slightly browned.
To Bake
Cut the salmon into four fillets and place on a sheet of foil big enough to cover the whole piece. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap them in the foil, and bake at 350 to 400 degrees F. In approximately 15 minutes, when they are just barely done, open the top of the foil and spread a little of the sauce on them and let them bake uncovered just a little more so that the sauce becomes slightly browned.
Harvest Tomatoes with Fingerling Potatoes
Bring potatoes, water, wine, oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a simmer (do not allow boiling) in a 10-inch nonstick skillet, then cover and briskly simmer, shaking skillet occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove lid and cook, stirring gently, until most of water has evaporated and potatoes are glazed, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Add the whole grape tomatoes, butter, remaining salt and pepper, tarragon, lemon juice and lemon zest and cook, stirring gently to ensure all ingredients mix and cook without burning.
Remove the sauce from the fridge. Whisk it and warm to finger-touch heat.
To Serve: Place a salmon fillet on a plate and drizzle a good amount of the sauce over the salmon. Tumble the potatoes and tomatoes around the salmon fillet and enjoy with Williamson Frolic Viognier or Pinot Noir Rose. Suitable side dishes could include asparagus or baby carrots.
