Prize salmon - salmon cooking contest

Sunset, August, 1996 by Linda Lau Anusasanan

3. Meanwhile, mix broth, light soy, and 1 teaspoon mirin. Lightly beat eggs. Stir broth mixture into eggs; pour through a fine wire strainer. Squeeze water out of mushrooms; trim and discard stems.

4. Lift fish from marinade (drain off excess); discard marinade. Reserve the 8 fish chunks. Set a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, place the 2 fish strips in pan; cook to lightly brown both sides (center should be raw), 10 seconds a side. If you prefer fish fully cooked, cook until barely opaque in thickest part (cut to test), 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Cover and chill browned strips.

5. In each of 4 decorative bowls, custard cups, or ramekins (about 1-cup size), place 2 of the raw salmon chunks, 1 mushroom, 1 lemon peel strip, and 1/4 of the egg mixture. Cover each bowl with foil.

6. To steam. Place bowls on a rack above 1 inch of boiling water in a deep pan, steamer, or wok. Cover pan; boil gently, adding more hot water as needed.

To bake. Place covered bowls in a deep baking pan. Place pan with bowls in a 325 [degrees] oven; pour boiling water around bowls in pan until halfway up bowls.

7. Cook until custard jiggles only slightly when gently shaken, 15 to 20 minutes if steamed, 25 to 30 minutes if baked. Let custard stand 10 minutes before serving. (To serve custard cold, cool, cover, and chill up to the next day.)

8. Meanwhile, thinly slice chilled fish strips at an angle. (If fish is cooked, separate at natural divisions into thin slices, using hands.) Reserve scraps for another use. Place each custard in center of a dinner plate. Arrange shiso leaf, daikon, pickled ginger, and fish slices around custard. Drizzle red pepper sauce and sprinkle cayenne on custard and daikon. Garnish custard with radish sprouts and chives. Drizzle reserved lemon-soy mixture and finely diced lemon peel on fish slices and daikon. Serve custard hot or cold. (Custard may weep slightly when cut.)

Per serving: 467 cal., 35% (162 cal.) from fat; 42 g protein; 18 g fat (3.4 g sat.); 32 g carbo.; 1,608 mg sodium; 254 mg chol.

SECOND PLACE

Thyme-encrusted King Salmon with Blackberry Gastrique

Prep and cook time: About 1 hour and 10 minutes

Notes: Roger McDorman prefers wild king salmon and wild blackberries for this elegant presentation, but any fresh salmon and cultivated blackberries will work well.

Makes: 4 servings

2 cups blackberries 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 tablespoon butter 1/4 cup minced shallot (1 1/4 oz.) 1/4 cup dry red wine Salt and pepper 4 salmon fillets (each about 1/2 lb.), skinned 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 1/2 tablespoons salad oil

1. In a food processor or blender, puree 1 1/2 cups of the berries. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard seeds.

2. To prepare gastrique. In a 1- to 2-quart pan, mix sugar with 1/4 cup water; cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat until reduced to a thick caramel-colored syrup, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; carefully add vinegar. Return to low heat and stir until caramel is dissolved. Remove from pan and set aside. Rinse pan.