Salmon with Cabbage, Chestnuts & Bacon
Submitted by dawg78
Whole roasted salmon stuffed with bacon-wilted red cabbage and roasted chestnuts, baked in white wine and served with a shallot-vinegar butter sauce.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThis is a showpiece salmon roast built for a dinner party. A whole fish gets stuffed with shredded red cabbage wilted in rendered bacon fat, then studded with roasted chestnuts that add nutty sweetness to every forkful.
Roasting the chestnuts first and peeling them while warm is a step worth doing right. That toasty, caramelized flavor can’t be replicated with jarred chestnuts. Slab bacon cut into cubes renders slowly and gives the cabbage a smoky richness that complements the salmon’s natural oils.
The fish roasts uncovered in white wine and butter, flipped once halfway through, until it’s just barely cooked at the bone. That’s where a lot of cooks go wrong: overcooking a whole salmon dries out the flesh. Pull it when the center still looks slightly translucent and it will carry over to flaky perfection on the platter.
The shallot-vinegar butter sauce is sharp and bright, built by reducing wine and white vinegar with minced shallots until nearly dry, then whisking in cold butter for a silky finish.
Pro Tips
- Score chestnuts with a deep slit before roasting or they can burst in the oven.
- Use slab bacon, not pre-sliced strips. The cubes hold their texture and render more evenly.
- Flip the salmon gently with two large spatulas to avoid tearing the skin.
- Whisk the cold butter into the reduced sauce off the heat. Too much direct heat will break the emulsion and leave you with greasy liquid.
Variations
- Swap red cabbage for savoy cabbage for a milder, more delicate stuffing.
- Use hazelnuts instead of chestnuts for a different nutty dimension.
- Add a tablespoon of whole-grain mustard to the butter sauce for a peppery kick.
Ingredients
Directions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350℉ (180℃).
Using a small knife, make a slit in each chestnut and spread them on a cookie pan in the oven for 30-to-35 minutes.
Remove from oven and when they are cool enough to handle, peel them.
Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.
Add the cabbage, cover and cook another 6-to-7 minutes or until well wilted.
Remove from heat, add the chestnuts and transfer to a bowl.
Sprinkle the cavity of the salmon with pepper and stuff with the cabbage mixture.
Place the salmon in a roasting pan and add 1 cup wine and 2 tablespoons butter.
Place in oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Turn on its other side and cook another 15-to-20 minutes, or until just barely cooked at the bone.
While the salmon is baking, prepare the sauce.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine shallots, remaining wine, vinegar and salt.
Cook until the mixture is almost dry.
Remove from heat and whisk in remaining butter.
Arrange the salmon on a large serving platter and offer the sauce on the side.
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