Doug's Cold Tequila Salmon

[jazznut]

There's something very summery about serving salmon cold. Not only does doing so make for a refreshing respite from having to suffer a last-minute blast of cooking heat on an already hot day. It also tends, I find, to enhance the more subtle flavours of the fish. Here's an interesting variation I whipped up yesterday...

You will need a nice, fresh salmon filet. Slice it into 1 to 1½-inch wide pieces to make final serving easier. Leave the skin on.

Spread slices of lemon and chopped white onion (Vidalias even better) over the bottom of a roasting pan or large casserole dish. Pour in enough water to just barely cover the lemon and onion.

Rub the pieces of salmon filet with first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and arrange them, skin side down, on top of the lemon and onion. Do not season.

Cook uncovered in a hot (450ºF) oven until almost fully done (usually 10 to 15 minutes depending on your oven). Promptly remove from the oven and let cool. Transfer the pieces of salmon filet to a large plate and place them, covered with wax paper or saran wrap, in the bottom of your fridge.

Pour some Tequila (1 to 2 ounces) into a saucepan, and add honey to taste (I used about a teaspoon). Add some very finely chopped lemon peel, and bring the mixture to a 'soft' boil. Then add some corn starch dissolved in water to the mixture, and stir continously until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a glaze. Season with mint (either chopped fresh or rubbed dry), sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Remove from the heat and place in the freezer until cold.

Serving couldn't be simpler. Just place the pieces of filet on your plates and spoon some of the glaze over the top. You can optionally adorn the filets with fresh whole mint leaves.

As side dishes, I prepared a cold pasta salad tossed with the same oilve oil and hot pepper Kalamata olives as well as a celery and carrot salad tossed with a bit of sesame oil.

Recommended wine accompaniment is a good dry or off-dry Riesling. I chose a reserve Riesling from Prince Edward County, but a fine Alsatian or Mosel-Saar-Ruwer would also pair splendidly well.