Duo of Salmon and Scallops

[ironchef]

We got in some fresh New Zealand King salmon today to try it out, and I decided to run a special with it. The salmon itself had a nice flavor, although not as good as wild Alaskan King. We compared it side by side with some Atlantic farm raised crap that we had for a banquet, and there was a noticeable difference in flavor between the two. The New Zealand King was also farm raised, but it was much superior in quality. It's only a little over a dollar more per pound than what we pay for the Atlantic salmon, so we'll probably switch over to the New Zealand one for the salmon that we run at lunch and on banquet menus.

Pan Seared New Zealand King Salmon and Atlantic Diver Scallops
Kahuku Sweet Corn, Local Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes, Ume and Port Reduction, Japanese Plum Wine Emulsion

[Loprraine]

Very nice IC! " Ume and Port Reduction, " I have some umeboshi, could I use that in the reduction?

[ironchef]

Originally Posted by Loprraine

Very nice IC! " Ume and Port Reduction, " I have some umeboshi, could I use that in the reduction?

Yeah, just make a paste out of the plums and the shiso. The master recipe is one whole bottle of ruby port reduced until the consistency of maple syrup, whisk in 3/4 lb. unsalted butter, and then the umeboshi paste to taste. You can half the recipe with no problem.

[jerseyjay14]

Originally Posted by ironchef

We got in some fresh New Zealand King salmon today to try it out, and I decided to run a special with it. The salmon itself had a nice flavor, although not as good as wild Alaskan King. We compared it side by side with some Atlantic farm raised crap that we had for a banquet, and there was a noticeable difference in flavor between the two. The New Zealand King was also farm raised, but it was much superior in quality. It's only a little over a dollar more per pound than what we pay for the Atlantic salmon, so we'll probably switch over to the New Zealand one for the salmon that we run at lunch and on banquet menus.

Pan Seared New Zealand King Salmon and Atlantic Diver Scallops
Kahuku Sweet Corn, Local Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes, Ume and Port Reduction, Japanese Plum Wine Emulsion

looks amazing!

[Loprraine]

just make a paste out of the plums and the shiso.

I've never seen fresh shiso here, so I'll have to wait until my grows. Thanks for a great idea!

[ironchef]

Originally Posted by Loprraine

I've never seen fresh shiso here, so I'll have to wait until my grows. Thanks for a great idea!

Oh, I wasn't talking about fresh shiso, I was talking about the leaves that sometime come with the ume in the preserving liquid. If your ume doesn't have the shiso leaves, you can just omit it.

[Loprraine]

NO shiso in mine. I'll have access to U-10 diver scallops next week, and some great fish. Thank you!!!

[ironchef]

Originally Posted by Loprraine

NO shiso in mine. I'll have access to U-10 diver scallops next week, and some great fish. Thank you!!!

Just be careful with the amount that you add. The ume in plum form is a lot more intense in the already made paste version so add less than what the recipe calls for, and then more to taste as needed.

[Fisher's Mom]

Is the ume paste something you buy or do you make it fresh from the plums? The combo of the port and plum flavor sounds so good and I really want to try this sauce at least.

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by Fisher's Mom

Is the ume paste something you buy or do you make it fresh from the plums? The combo of the port and plum flavor sounds so good and I really want to try this sauce at least.

Terry, you buy the umeboshi paste in Asian markets. It's great to have on hand!

so we'll probably switch over to the New Zealand one for the salmon that we run at lunch and on banquet menus

IC, that's a good idea, because the quality of farm-raised Atlantic salmon is so bad that most chefs around here would rather not offer salmon than menu it. Not a healthy choice, unfortunately. I'm going to keep my eye out for the farm raised NZ salmon. Thanks for the heads up!