Great Chef Bruce Le Favour

Salmon with Asparagus Sauce
Bruce Le Favour
Rose et Le Favour
St. Helena CA

The essence of spring, this dish is also the essence of simplicity. Fresh asparagus is cooked down and turned into a sauce with butter and cream. Butter-sauteed salmon just kissed by heat is served with the sauce. This dish depends on the freshness of its ingredients; go with the best you can find.

Serves 4

Sauce
1-1/2 pounds medium or small asparagus
2 ounces unsalted butter
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 to 8 salmon steaks, depending on size; 3/4 inch thick, boned
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 ounces unsalted butter

To prepare the sauce: Wash the asparagus and snap off the woody ends. Set aside all tops and half that number of ends. Plunge the tops into a large pot of salted, boiling water and cook until limp (cook longer than for eating; if undercooked they will not process well, and if overcooked they will taste earthy).

Drain thoroughly and, while still hot, run through a processor with unsalted butter for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor frequently. Chop the asparagus ends and simmer with the cream for 20 minutes. Strain, pressing through gently. Just before serving, combine two asparagus mixtures. Heat to just below the boiling point and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To prepare the salmon: Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. When the butter begins to brown, add the salmon and cook for 30 seconds on one side. The salmon will be quite rare. Drain on a towel; remove any skin.

To serve: Spoon sauce onto warmed serving plates. Place drained salmon pieces on the sauce.