Sautéed fillets of salmon with a champ sauce
- By Paul Rankin
This is not so much salmon with a sauce as salmon with some very creamy
mash, or ‘pommes mousseline’ as the French would cal it. You may
make the sauce (champ) as creamy as you prefer, or as firm as you prefer.
And of course, you may add chopped spring onions (scal ions) if you
want it to be proper champ.
Ingredients
• 8 skinless salmon fillets weighing about 175g/6oz each
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• A few salad leaves, to serve
• 3-4 tablespoons Vinaigrette Dressing
For the champ sauce:
• 300g/10oz potatoes, peeled and cut into
generous 2.5cm/1in cubes
• 1⁄2 a small onion, chopped
• 175-200ml/6-8floz whipping cream
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 4-6 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, plus extra to garnish
1. First make the champ sauce. Cover the potatoes and onion with
cold salted water in a small saucepan, then bring to the boil over a medium
heat and simmer until the potatoes are very soft. 2. Drain off the liquid, add the
cream to the potatoes and bring to the boil. 3. Take off the heat and purée in a food
processor. 4. Season to taste and keep warm. If you prefer a more saucy consistency
make the champ in the same way using just 200g (8oz) of potatoes. 5. Check that the
salmon fillets are boneless. If there are any bones remaining, remove with a pair of
tweezers. 6. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat, add the oil and tilt to coat the pan.
7. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. 8. Fry them quickly for about 2 minutes
on each side. 9. Add the chives to the potato purée and spoon generously onto warm
plates. 10. Place a salmon fillet on the sauce and top with a few salad leaves tossed in a
little vinaigrette dressing and garnish with chives.
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