Poached Salmon, Lobster Mash, Lentil Gumbo “Gravy”

Court Bouillon Poached Fresh Salmon
Lobster Mashed Potatoes with Butter and Chives
Gumbo “Gravy” with French Lentils

A piece of fish, mashed potatoes & gravy. On steroids. Inspired by the extraordinary marriage of Lobster Fettuccine with Gumbo Sauce, this dish features buttery lobster mashed potatoes paired with a flavorful seafood-based gumbo “gravy” flecked with earthy French lentils. Fresh salmon filets are poached in a court bouillon, imbuing the fish with subtle lemony herbaceous qualities and a silky texture. The robust flavors and extravagant ingredients remake the everyday combination of fish & potatoes into a voluptuous meal.

Lobster Mash Recipe

Submerge peeled/quartered potatoes (such as Yukon Gold) in a pot of cold water. Add salt. Bring to a boil then simmer until tender. Drain, then pass potatoes through a ricer. Add butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in a generous amount of warm lobster meat and chives.

Lentil Gumbo “Gravy” Recipe

Lentil Gumbo “Gravy” for Seafood

• 1 jalapeño, chopped
• 1/4 c. yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c. carrot, chopped
• 1/4 c. yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. celery, chopped
• 1/4 c. grapeseed oil
•  2 T. flour
•  2 1/2 c. fish stock
• 3/4 c. cooked French green lentils
• salt & pepper
• 1 t. gumbo filé (ground sassafras leaves)

Caramelize the vegetables in oil over medium-high heat. Add flour, stir with a wooden spoon until the roux is a golden brown, about 20 minutes. Slowly whisk in fish stock and continue to cook at least 30 minutes until the sauce is just starting to thicken. Strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, return to a clean sauce pan. Reheat and cook, stirring, to a light gravy consistency then add cooked lentils. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Finish by adding gumbo filé.

Poached Salmon Recipe

Court Bouillon (poaching liquid)

• 1/4 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 c. water
• 3/4 c. dry white wine
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 small fennel bulb
• fresh parsley sprigs
• fresh thyme springs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 t. Kosher salt
• 1/2 t. peppercorns, crushed

Rough chop onion, carrot and fennel. Add all ingredients to a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for an hour. Strain poaching liquid, discard vegetables.

Place salmon filets in a pot. Don’t bother to remove the skin, it will slide right off after poaching. Pour hot court bouillon over the top, completely submerging the fish. Barely simmer, do not boil, until the fish is just barely cooked through – about 10 minutes depending on the size of the filet.

Ladle gravy onto a warm platter, top with lobster mash and poached salmon. Garnish with chives.

*The idea of an everyday combination of fish & potatoes led me to want to portray the image as a meal from the past, something my mother might have served us in the 60’s. The photo above uses an Instagram filter to get that cool old-fashioned quality.

fall fest is featuring potatoes
lobster mash fits the bill

Fall Fest is a season long franchise where Food Network editors
team up with blogs to share tips and recipes about seasonal produce.
Looking for potato inspiration? Take a look at these impressive recipes:

And Love It Too: Twice Baked Potato – Paleo Style
What’s Gaby Cooking: Smashed Potatoes
From My Corner of Saratoga: Potato Canapes
*Napa Farmhouse 1885: Chorizo and Potato Tacos
Cooking Channel: Cozy Up With In Season Potatoes
FN Dish: Best Potato Casserole Recipes
Cooking With Elise: The Irish Boxty
CIA Dropout: Potato and Leek Soup
The Sensitive Epicure: Potatoes Anna With Fresh Thyme and Truffle Salt
Glory Foods: Chicken Smashed Potatoes
Daily*Dishin: Creamy Loaded Potato Casserole
Virtually Vegan Mama: Baked Cinnamon Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

*my favorite of the bunch