RSS
Why It's Good:
A delicious piece of wild-caught salmon deserves a special side vegetable, and nothing is as special as an in-season rutabaga. A cross between a squash and a turnip, the oft-overlooked rutabaga is starchy, savory and satisfying.
Why It's Green:
Get your rutabagas at your farmers' market, and support your local producers; organic is even better, as chemicals are not being sprayed on your food and into the soil that grows it.
The Last of Winter's Delicious Goodness
We love executive chef Alex Guarnaschelli of New York City's hip restaurant Butter, and when we asked her about something seasonal, sensational and easy-to-make for right now, this is what she came up with. Bless her fresh and fabulous soul.
Rutabaga is underrated. It has a natural sweetness, like squash, and the earthy qualities of cabbage as well. Once relieved of its thick, inedible skin, it cooks quickly and pairs nicely with strong flavors like salmon, venison and lamb. I would also happily use celery root or parsley root—or a mix of the two vegetables—in its place. Enjoy!—Alex Guarnaschelli, Butter restaurant, New York City
Serves 2
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large heads rutabaga, thoroughly peeled and cut into 1" thick and 3" long "batons"
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground mace or 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 lemon
1 orange
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 pieces salmon, skin on, 8-10 ounces each
1 tangerine, peeled and broken into sections
1. In a skillet, melt the butter. Add the rutabaga and season with salt and pepper. Add the mace (or nutmeg) and ground allspice and stir to blend. Add the juice from half of the lemon and the orange. Allow the rutabaga to cook gently over medium heat until it starts to become translucent and tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife, 8-10 minutes.
2. Brush the pieces of salmon lightly with olive oil and "mark" them in a criss-cross pattern on the grill. Remove quickly.
3. Heat a medium skillet and add the remaining olive oil. When it begins to smoke lightly, season the salmon pieces with salt and pepper to taste and place them, skin side down, in the skillet. Turn them over and cook them over low heat for 3-5 additional minutes if you would like your salmon medium to medium well. If you prefer it more rare, allow it to sit in the pan on the skin side over low heat without turning the pieces over at all.
4. Spoon some of the rutabaga on the bottom of two plates. Place the salmon on top and sprinkle some of the tangerine sections on each. Serve immediately.
