INGREDIENTS:
For the vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- 1½ tablespoons whole grain mustard
- ¾ teaspoons honey
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the salmon
- 6 to 10 large Savoy cabbage leaves (Napa cabbage will also work)
- ½-pound wild-caught salmon, cut into chunks, skin removed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- a few turns of freshly ground black pepper
- 10 fresh, large basil leaves, washed & dried
- 6 (approximately 4-ounce) fillets wild-caught salmon, skin removed
INSTRUCTION:
For the vinaigrette
- Add the orange juice, mustard and honey to a small bowl. Mix until everything is combined, and then gradually whisk in the oil. Once it's nicely blended, mix in the shallots and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- TIP: The best way to taste dressing is with a lettuce leaf.
For the salmon:
- Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels and set it aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few of the cabbage leaves at a time to the water, and let them sit only long enough to wilt, about 20 seconds. Use tongs to gently remove them and place them on the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Continue until all of the leaves are wilted. Set aside to cool to room temperature -- they must be no warmer than room temperature when you are ready to use them.
- Add the ½-pound of salmon chunks, cream, egg and basil leaves to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend a tiny bit and then add the salt and pepper. Now blend just until it's smooth. (You will still see small bits of the basil.) The is a salmon mousse.
- Use paper towels to pat dry the cabbage leaves if they are still wet, and lay them out on a clean, dry workspace.
- Spread a thin layer (about ¼-inch or less), of the salmon mousse over each cabbage leaf.
- Sprinkle both sides of the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Then place a fillet directly in the center, presentation side down. It should look like this . . .
- Now very carefully fold the sides of the mousse-coated cabbage leaves over the fillet -- it should stick nicely. (If there are any particularly tough stems in the cabbage leaves, cut them out and use parts of another leaf to fill in any empty spaces.) Set aside in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook. (You can leave them in the prepared state for up to 6 hours.)
- Put a large steamer into a large pot with the water level just below it. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil and then add cabbage wrapped salmon to the rack -- as many as will fit. You may need to do this in two batches, depending not he size of your pot. Cover and steam for 3 to 4 minutes. Just slice into one if you're unsure if they're done -- you want the very center to be orange and almost raw.
- Heat the vinaigrette in a small sauté pan and slice each cabbage steamed salmon one on a bias.
- Drizzle each portion with the vinaigrette and serve.
