Slow Baked Spring Salmon | By David Hawksworth

David Hawksworth

Chef & Owner

Hawksworth Restaurant Group

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Ingredients:

4 x 130g Wild Salmon Fillets (Brined, Recipe Below)

400g Cavatelli (Recipe Below)

150g Morel Mushrooms, Cleaned

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2ea Shallots, finely chopped

60g White wine, Dry

150g Asparagus, cut into 1” pieces, blanched

60g + 20g Unsalted Butter

50g 35% Cream

15g Flat Leaf Parsley leaves, thinly sliced

10g Tarragon Leaves, thinly sliced

1ea Lemon

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Method, for the Sautee:

– Preheat oven to 250F full convection bake.

– Line a tray with parchment paper and a generous amount of olive oil.

– Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil.

– While water is coming to a boil, arrange a large, thick bottomed sautee pan on the stove next to the pot.

– In the sautee pan, melt butter over medium low heat.

– Add the shallots and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium low heat for approximately 2-3 minutes or until vegetables have softened.

– Add the cleaned morel mushrooms to the pan, continue to cook over medium low heat. The mushrooms will release a delicious mushroom stock, and once they have, add the 20g of butter to emulsify the liquid and make a sauce.

– Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cavatelli to the now boiling water and cook until 75% doneness is reached. Transfer the cavatelli to a strainer and discard liquid. Add cooked noodles and blanched asparagus to your sautee pan with your mushroom mixture and toss or stir gently to combine over medium heat.

– Add the tarragon, parsley, lemon juice and salt. Toss to combine and taste for seasoning.

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Recipe: Brined Salmon

Ingredients:

4 x 130g Wild Salmon Fillets, skin and pinbones removed

500ml Hot Water

500g Ice

5 strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler

20g Dill

5g Toasted black peppercorns

100g Kosher Salt

50g Sugar

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Method:

– Bring 500ml water to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into a shallow container.

– Immediately add the peppercorn, lemon zest, and dill. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

– Remove cover and add the ice.

– Once the ice has melted and the mixture is cold, add the salmon and place container in the fridge for 30 minutes.

– After 30 minutes, remove the salmon and lightly rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and reserve.

– Preheat oven to 225F full convection (if possible). Place the salmon on a parchment lined tray and apply a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. Salt is not required as we’ve already brined the fish.

– Bake fish for approximately 12-18 minutes, depending on thickness. We’re looking for the fish to just flake. This will take awhile, but be patient, the result is a silky smooth and very flavourful fish.

– Place on top of the cavatelli, mushroom, and asparagus mixture and enjoy!

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Recipe: Cavatelli

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Ingredients:

300g Semolina “Rimacinata” Flour

150g Boiling, Salted Water

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Method:

– Place semolina flour into a kitchen aid bowl fitted with the dough hook attachment.

– Add boiling water and start mixer on 3.5 speed for 10 minutes.

– Remove dough and knead into a smooth ball, approximately 1 minute.

– Wrap dough in saran wrap, and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

– If chilled overnight, remove dough from fridge for 45 minutes prior to processing.

– Remove saran wrap from dough and set aside. Cut a 1cm slice of dough and then cut this into small squares.

– Using a cavatelli board, press gently with your thumb at a 45 degree angle and pinch the dough as you push down, this will create a small noodle with a little cave for the sauce. This is where the name “Cavatelli” comes from as it means “Little Cave” in Italian.

– Place the noodles on a sheet tray lined with parchment and freeze. Transfer to a ziplock bag for storage, or use immediately.