Fresh Salmon Filet ....Slow...Slow...Slow Cooking On Stove Top.

 When buying your salmon filet ask the fish monger not to take off the skin...just make sure that the scales have been scraped and washed away.

 I have personally seen my friend Chef Rotureau prepare this dish for a number of people at the three Michelin star hotel and restaurant in St. Jean de Luz, south west of France, 30 km south of Biarritz.






Ingredients:
Serves 4 or as many as you wish as long as you have equal portions.
-  Filet of Salmon with skin.
-  4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary stripped off their branches leaving just the tips of each sprig for decoration later.
-  Salt to taste.
-  ½ Tbsp. dry coriander beads for decoration.
-  ½ Tbsp. pink pepper corns (Baies Roses in French) for decoration.
-  1 tsp. turmeric*.
-  1 tsp. worth of freshly ground green pepper corns.
-  2 Tbsp. olive oil.
-  Juice and zest of one lime.
Method For The Marination: 

-  Coat the salmon filets with the olive oil.
-  Bash the rosemary in a mortar and pestle until it becomes a paste.
-  Coat the surface of the salmon with the rosemary paste making sure all the rosemary oils are also used.
-  Coat the surface of the salmon with the turmeric. 
-  Sprinkle salmon surface with the pink pepper corns and coriander beads for decoration.
-  Finally add some lime zest.
-  Marinate for 2 -4 hours till it is time to cook.
Method For The Cooking:

 -  The proper cooking method is on what the Spanish call "Plancha" that is, a flat surface of heavy cast iron.
-   Heat your pan, or Plancha on high heat then coat with some oil using a pastry brush.
-  Place your salmon portions skin side down.
-  You should hear the "Tshshshshsh" when the salmon hits the pan.
-  Immediately lower your heat to the lowest temperature possible without turning off.
-  Go about with your business and forget about the salmon for 1¼ hours without touching it.
-  You will see that the salmon is cooked when you can easily pierce the fish with a fork.
-  Before serving add some lime juice and stick the tip of the rosemary sprig into the center of the portion.

Ready to serve.

-  This very slow way of cooking the salmon renders the fish very juicy and delicious.
-  Serve with steamed rice or a variety of steamed vegetables.

* Note on Turmeric:

Turmeric, apart from giving an exotic very nice taste to the food, most of all it is a strong Anti-oxidant. In general, try to add as much Turmeric in your food as your taste buds will stand without rendering the food bitter.

Important note for crispy skin lovers:

After such a long and slow cooking time the skin comes out far from burnt but terribly crispy and succulent! 

Enjoy,
Stelio