Escalope of King Salmon with Sorrel

To properly celebrate the world's best king salmon and spring, I decided to make a time honored classic from the world's great cooking duo of all time, the Troisgros brothers. Over fifty years ago, they created escalopes of salmon in a sorrel sauce that revolutionized French cuisine and ushered in a new era of cooking. There is no better dish to honor Columbia River spring run king salmon than this classic.This is an easy and quick dish to make that will instantly become a go to recipe for dinners where you want to impress your guests. The best season for this dish is spring when both king salmon and sorrel are abundant. Give this dish a try this weekend and #hashtag us at #PistouAndPastis. We love seeing what you are creating!

Columbia River King Salmon with Red Sorrel

One of the easiest and most classic of all salmon preparations made famous by the Troisgros brothers

• 2 pounds king salmon (cut from the middle of the fish)
• 2 tablespoons butter

Sorrel Sauce

• 2 shallots (chopped)
• 2 cups fish stock
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons vermouth
• 1.5 cups cream
• 1 ounce butter
• 1/2 lemon juices
• 3 ounces sorrel (chopped)

Prepping the salmon

1. Remove any bones from the salmon with needle nose pliers.

2. Cut skin off filet, then cut salmon into two equal pieces.

3. Cut each piece in half horizontally, cover in parchment paper and flatten slightly with a meat tenderizer or bottom of saucepan. The goal is to make all four pieces the same dimensions. Reserve till you finish the sauce.

Making the Sorrel Sauce

1. Mix chopped shallots, fish stock, white wine and vermouth in a sauce pot, and reduce over moderate to a glaze.

2. Add cream and simmer for five minutes, or until thickened.

3. Strain into a clean pot, whisk in butter and season with lemon juice. Lemon juice cuts the fat and adds depth and layers to the mouthfeel.

Finish the dish

1. Season salmon with sea salt and pepper. In a large non stick saute pan cook salmon for one minute on each side.

2. Add sorrel to the hot sauce, and spoon immediately onto a plate.

3. Top with salmon and serve at once.

It's hard to believe a dish so simple and easy was the wunderkind of Michelin three star restaurants for so long. It is a tribute and testament to the careful attention in sourcing the absolute best ingredients to use in your cuisine. The best food in the food is the least complicated.[br][br]I used red sorrel from Groundworks Organics, one of my favorite Oregon farms. Every week I hit the farmers market and cannot help but buy bags and bags of the stuff. I make gratins and sauces and soups at this time of year.