Coho Salmon Crudo with Mountain Rose Apples

I am sharing this recipe because of my love for the Mountain Rose apple. Every year I buy a big box and look for new ways to enjoy. I remembered a dish I would periodically make  featuring apples. It originated from one of my favorite Spanish inspired cookbooks is Jose Andres' "Tapas - A taste of Spain in America". Chef Andres is a protege of the great Ferran Adria of El Bulli fame.  This book is a great starter book for exploring simple chef driven tapas. One of my favorite dishes is the seemingly strange combination of raw salmon and apples in his Asturian style salmon recipe. Asturias is a beautiful region who's food basket is filled with salmon from the Sella river, Cabrales bleu cheese and apples. Chef Andres describes the dish as not traditional but made with ingredients coming from the region. I decided to take his lead and alter it to fit the incredible bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

My version was made with beautiful coho salmon caught in the Quinault river mixed with both Rubinette and Mountain Rose apples, Rogue River bleu, Seabeans and toasted hazelnuts.

Coho Salmon Crudo with Mountain Rose Apples

A spin of Jose Andres's Asturian style salmon

mashed Rubinette apples

• 1 Rubinette apple
• 1 tablespoon Oregon Mills Arbequina Extra virgin olive oil
• pinch Jacobson's flake sea salt
• 1 tablespoon Jacobs Creamery unsalted hand churned butter

the rest

• 4 ounces coho salmon (diced small)
• 1 tablespoon apple balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Oregon Mills Arbequina Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 juniper berries (wild foraged near Redmond, Oregon)
• 1 Mountain Rose apple
• 2 tablespoons sea beans
• 10 hazelnuts (toasted)
• 1 ounce steelhead roe
• 1 ounce Rogue River bleu cheese (diced)

mashed Rubinette apples

1. Peel, quarter and core Rubinette apple.
2. Put in a small pan with olive oil and salt and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from oven. Add butter and mash with fork.
4. Adjust seasonings.

the rest

1. Dice coho and keep cold while preparing everything else.
2. Mix apple balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
3. Crush juniper berries and add to vinaigrette.
4. Marinate coho salmon for ten minutes.
5. Mountain Rose apple, peeled, quartered, cored and diced super fine.
6. tablespoons sea beans
7. hazelnuts, toasted
8. ounce steelhead roe
9. ounce Rogue River bleu cheese, diced

assembly

1. On a chilled or room temperature plate spoon some of the Rubinette puree.
2. Spoon diced coho salmon over.
3. Sprinkle with diced Mountain Rose apples, sea beans, crushed hazelnuts, roe and bleu cheese.
4. Eat cold.
5. Love life.