Salmon Steaks with Salsa Verde

December 5, 2000

As a member of the New Zealand Guild of Food Writers, I receive some fine food and wine brochures and information sheets during the year.

This week was no exception. A couple of excellent little recipe booklets came in from The New Zealand King Salmon Company Ltd.

The company has seven salmon farms (including three in reserve) scattered through the isolated reaches of New Zealand's South Island Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sounds.

Hatcheries are located in Nelson province's Golden Bay - which I mentioned a couple of weeks back - using Waikouopupu spring water (reported to provide the clearest water in the world) and in Tentburn here in Canterbury.

NZ King Salmon produces 80 percent of New Zealand's total production and 40 percent of the world's farmed King Salmon.

The largest of the Pacific salmon family and a native of the northern Pacific Ocean, King Salmon were introduced into New Zealand from the McLeod River in Sacramento, California to establish a commercial salmon industry in the 1890s.

New Zealand with its remote Antarctic fed Southern Oceans and the safe sanctuary of its pure mountai-fed streams, has proved to be an ideal nurturing environment.

The fish is a chef's delight. High natural oil content, the highest of all salmon which provides its wonderful rich flavour, making it perfect for sashimi or for baking, grilling and hot or cold smoking. The high oil content also makes it a rich natural source of healthy Omega 3.

Good size means it can be served in a wide variety of cuts from fine fillets, to steaks, to portions, to whole fish. Harvest size is determined by market demand.

The rich orange/red flesh colour makes for a very appealing plate presentation.

The Regal Salmon people tell me their fresh and smoked salmon is exported to Australia, Japan, Asia and the USA - for further details, you can contact their export sales manager : Peter Cronin : plc@kingsalmon.co.nz or phone +64 3 548 5714

I like salmon as there's minimal preparation involved apart from pin-boning the fillets. I do this with some scissor-handled eyebrow tweezers I keep in my kitchen drawer just for the purpose.

We went out for dinner after a show last week and I noticed The Spouse was quick to choose a poached salmon dish with a real Mediterraneon flavour, including olives and anchovies. I am a great fan of anchovies for enhancing a fish dish, particularly salmon. Even if you are not an anchovy fan, you will find the little salted fish generally break down in cooking when they are an incidental ingredient, and they lose their pungency.

When I saw the recipe for salmon steaks with salsa verde (pictured) in the Regal Salmon brochure, I knew this was one for me. Anchovies are incorporated in a tasty green sauce. Here is the recipe and you'll find more salmon ideas on the Regal Salmon website.

Regal Salmon Steaks with Salsa Verde

4 x fresh Regal Salmon Steaks
cracked black pepper
1/3 cup flat parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic 8 anchovy fillets
1/3 cup olive oil
olive oil spray
1/3 cup fresh dill
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoons capers rinsed
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Pat the salmon steaks dry with a paper towel. Spray the steaks with olive oil spray and generously sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Grill the steaks on a hot oiled grill or barbeque approximately 3-4 minutes each side or cooked to your liking.

Sauce: place the dill, parsley, mint, garlic, mustard, anchovy and capers in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the oil and lemon juice and process to a thick paste. Adjust the flavour to your liking. Spoon the sauce over the grilled fillets and serve.

Serve these French style steaks on some hot or cold roasted seasonal vegetables.