Salmon au Poivre with Simple Red Wine Sauce
Many of us regularly season food with a sprinkling of black pepper, but rarely do we use it as a bold flavor stroke. Black pepper, when it’s more than a background note, can engage the senses with a warming bite and an aroma that reminds me, to varying degrees, of chili, cloves, and citrus. Borrowing a classic technique often reserved for beefsteaks, the recipe for salmon au poivre balances pungent heat against the lush, rich flavor of the fish. The recipe produces a modest quantity of sauce. The idea is to accent the fish, not drown it.
3 tablespoons freshly coarse-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1½ pounds salmon fillet, skin and pinbones removed, cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
⅔ cup fruity, medium-bodied red wine, such as pinot noir, Cotes du Rhone, or zinfandel
1½ tablespoons snipped fresh chives
In a wide, shallow dish, spread the pepper. Rub 1 teaspoon of oil over each piece of salmon, sprinkle each piece lightly with salt, and dredge each piece in the pepper.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil until it ripples. Add the salmon and cook, without moving, until the bottom of each fillet starts to turn opaque, about 3½ minutes.
Using a spatula or tongs, flip the fillets and then cook, without moving them, until they are no longer translucent on the exterior and are firm, but not hard, when gently pressed, about 3 minutes longer for rare or 3½ minutes longer for medium.
Transfer the salmon to a serving dish and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
Wipe out the skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter, and melt it over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 1 minute.
Add the wine and any accumulated salmon juices from the serving dish, increase the heat to high, and boil until the consistency is slightly syrupy and the volume is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, add ½ teaspoon of salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and stir constantly to incorporate. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Spoon the sauce over the salmon, sprinkle with the chives, and serve at once.