Recipe Categories
Seafood
Wine Fish

James's Salmon Red Wine Shitake Sauce

 
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 med shallots peeled, minced
2 cup unsalted chicken or veal stock
1 cup Pinot Noir, Merlot or other dry,
    fruity red wine
2 x garlic cloves peeled, minced
1 lrg fresh thyme sprig
    (or 2 tbspns dried thyme, crumbled)
1 tsp peanut oil
1 tsp Oriental (toasted) sesame oil
1/4 lb fresh shiitake or other fresh mushrooms ends trimmed,
    thinly sliced and patted dry
SALMON
4 x salmon steaks, 3/4" thick - (abt 2 lbs patted dry
    Salt to taste
    Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
2 tbl peanut or vegetable oil - (about)
2 tbl minced flat-leaf parsley

 Method :
For the Red Wine Shiitake Sauce, bring the vinegar to a boil with the shallots in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the stock, wine, garlic, and thyme. Boil until thickened to a sauce-like consistency and reduced to about 1 cup. (This can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated.)
Heat the peanut and sesame oils in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown, for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This can be prepared ahead, covered and set aside at room temperature.)
For the salmon, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Pat salmon dry. Season with salt and pepper. Place a heavy large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and film with oil. Add the salmon and brown both sides lightly for about 1 minute. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the salmon is just opaque throughout for about 15 minutes.
To serve, meanwhile, stir the sauce over medium-high heat to rewarm. Discard the thyme sprig. Stir in the mushrooms. Place each salmon steak in the center of the plate and ladle the sauce over it until completely covered. Serve immediately.