Pan fried salmon

Salmon comes now in boned halves with skin on. For two people you will need a 500 Gms piece. Ask the fishmonger to skin it and cut it in two. Once at home get some tweezers and pull out the tiny bones you can feel just by passing your fingers on the flesh. Put the fillets in a plastic bag with a couple of spoons of flour. Secure the opening of the bag and shake vigorously. Keep in the fridge.

In a non-stick frying pan melt a little butter and add two handfuls of fresh spinach. Shake; add a little salt and pepper. Do not kill the spinach. It does not deserve it. Lift and keep warm. In the same pan with a little more butter (or margarine if you believe that chemical fat is better than natural butter) fry a few sliced large mushrooms until golden. Lift and keep warm.

Put some plates to warm up in a low oven. In the same pan add a little olive oil and gently drop the salmon in it. It will take only 3 minutes on each side. Use a fish slice. Do not overcook. Salmon should be slightly raw in the middle. Lift the fillets and keep warm. Add a small glass of white wine in the cooking juices or some lemon juice. Stir well. If the sauce becomes too thick because of the flour around the fillets add a bit more wine. Check the seasoning.

On each warm plate place a couple of spoons of spinach, top up with some mushrooms and finally the fillet of salmon. All three ingredients should be on top of each other. It just looks better. Pour a little sauce around the whole thing. Not on top. You are having salmon with a little sauce; not the other way round. Garnish with lemon and a sprig of parsley (flat or curly it does not matter).

Enjoy. A glass of semi dry white wine will be perfect. Salmon is not too partial to very dry wine.

JOCELYNE