Normand Laprise’s Confit Salmon was recently described at The West Coast Fishing Club as “the best salmon dish I’ve ever eaten.” We’ll leave it to you to form your own opinion. From our end, we think Chef Laprise’s recipe is a summertime classic that you’ll be cooking for years to come.
INGREDIENTS
Salmon
- 4 x 150g salmon let or 2 salmon heads cut in two lengthwise
- 120g ( 1⁄2 cup) salt
- 120g ( 1⁄2 cup) sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Herbalicious
- 60g (1 cup) parsley
- 20g (1cup) cilantro
- 10g (1 cup) dill
- 100g (1 cup) green onions
- 2 tbsp chopped garlic
- 250 ml olive oil
RECIPE
METHOD
{Serves 4}
- If using salmon heads, first soak them in cold water for 30 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the salt and sugar. Cover the salmon generously on each side, cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
- Rinse the salmon under running cold water, pat dry and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to its lowest possible setting. Place the salmon skin down in a baking dish.
- Drizzle with the maple syrup and olive oil.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, basting the salmon every 5 minutes until the skin comes off easily.
HERBALICIOUS
Roughly chop the herbs and the green onions. In a food processor, grind all the ingredients while adding the olive oil slowly to emulsify.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Garnish with the Herbalicous mixture, lemon zest and hot sauce.
TIPS
After you cook the salmon, you can also coat it with maple syrup and burn it with a blowtorch to caramelize it. This recipe works great with other fish: arctic char, mackerel or brook trout are all excellent choices. However, you’ll need to adjust your cooking time depending on the thickness of the cut: the fish should remain supple while giving way under a fork.
The Herbalicious dressing can be served with poultry, grilled salmon or in a salad. You can vary the ingredients as well as the quantities of each ingredients depending on what’s available.
For more information on The West Coast Fishing Club, click here
Photo: Jeff Vinnick
