Hopz
Senior Cook
We just returned from a Cruise to Alaska. It was wonderful. At dinner one night the Chef served a Salmon with an Artichoke/Bacon/Basil creamy sauce. The sauce had crispy chunks of bacon, small bits of artichoke all in a creamy sauce- very light yellow/green color.
I asked the chef if he blended the artichoke sauce or not- he said "no" the artichokes melt in cooking.
I tried it last night doing this... Pan fried the salmon while preparing the sauce... rendered bacon till crisp, poured off part of the fat, sauteed shallots till tender, added chopped up artichoke hearts (canned-not pickled); then added in some half and half. When it had come together added fresh basil.
I the half and half sort of boiled away and the artichokes never really melted. While it was a very tasty combination, it not as smooth as the dish on the cruise. These flavors do go well together however. I'm thinking now that what it needed was white wine in the suace.
Any thoughts, ideas, conjectures, or even actual facts would be appreciated.
I asked the chef if he blended the artichoke sauce or not- he said "no" the artichokes melt in cooking.
I tried it last night doing this... Pan fried the salmon while preparing the sauce... rendered bacon till crisp, poured off part of the fat, sauteed shallots till tender, added chopped up artichoke hearts (canned-not pickled); then added in some half and half. When it had come together added fresh basil.
I the half and half sort of boiled away and the artichokes never really melted. While it was a very tasty combination, it not as smooth as the dish on the cruise. These flavors do go well together however. I'm thinking now that what it needed was white wine in the suace.
Any thoughts, ideas, conjectures, or even actual facts would be appreciated.