Hell's Kitchen & Crispy Skin Salmon

Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Las Vegas
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
And His Crispy Skin Salmon Dish

Gordon Ramsay made a surprise visit to Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the restaurant, which was the first of his six Hells.

We were there, but unfortunately just missed him by exactly one week! The one word we used to describe our lunch at Hell’s Kitchen was FUN! It was super enjoyable from the buzzing energy, to the studio-set atmosphere with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Strip, to the relaxed yet experienced service, and it felt like the guests were all there to have a good time, too. And we enjoyed the crispy skin salmon dish so much, that I decided to re-create it at home.

Hell’s Kitchen in Vegas is on track to hit $55 million in annual sales, Ramsay said, a figure that places it among the highest-grossing independent restaurants in the world. The 300+ seat restaurant is open more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year. Just like casinos, Ramsay staffs Hell’s Kitchen in three eight-hour shifts. In fact, there’s a team dedicated to making Wellingtons throughout the night. (from Las Vegas Review-Journal here)

Hell's Kitchen & Crispy Skin Salmon

🔥 Hell’s Kitchen Las Vegas 🔥

Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Locations
🔥 Atlantic City
🔥 Dubai
🔥 Lake Tahoe
🔥 Las Vegas
🔥 Southern California
🔥 Washington D.C.

Hell's Kitchen & Crispy Skin Salmon

🔥 Lunch at Hell’s Kitchen Las Vegas 🔥

pan seared scallops – celery root, braised bacon lardons, pickled granny smith apples

golden beet salad – greek yogurt, kumquats, pistachio granola, white balsamic vinaigrette

seared foie gras – stewed cherries, scottish shortbread, candied marcona almonds

beef wellington – potato puree, glazed root vegetables, red wine demi-glace

g.h. mumm – cordon rouge, reims, brut, nv

sticky toffee pudding – dulce de leche ice cream

pear cheesecake – brown sugar crumble

iced tea – agave syrup

crispy skin salmon – beluga lentils, shaved fennel salad, citrus herb beurre blanc

My Re-Creation of Gordon Ramsay’s
🔥 Crispy Skin Salmon Dish 🔥

Hell's Kitchen & Crispy Skin Salmon

Pan-Seared Alaska Sockeye Salmon

Beluga Lentils

Shaved Fennel Salad

Citrus Herb Beurre Blanc

Hell's Kitchen & Crispy Skin Salmon

Beluga Lentils

1 c. dry beluga lentils, rinsed
3 c. light chicken stock
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Bring chicken stock to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add lentils then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, about 20 minutes until tender. Take care not to overcook.

We are fans of Clear Creek Black Beluga Lentils, grown in Montana.

Hell's Kitchen & Crispy Skin Salmon

Shaved Fennel Salad

fennel
radish
carrot
parsley leaves
fennel fronds

Use a mandoline to thinly shave fennel bulb and radish. Use a vegetable peeler to shave ribbons of carrot. Toss all five salad ingredients together. No need to dress this salad, as the citrus herb beurre blanc will become the dressing in the finished dish.

Citrus Herb Beurre Blanc

1 T. lemon juice
2 T. orange juice
3 T. dry white wine
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 T. creme fraiche
8 T. unsalted butter, cubed and cold
1/4 t. to 1/2 t. sea salt
2 t. chives, finely sliced
1 t. fennel fronds, finely sliced

Bring juices, wine, and shallot to a boil in a small sauce pan. Continue to boil for about 3 minutes to reduce and thicken the mixture. Whisk in the creme fraiche. Adjust heat to low then whisk in butter one cube at a time until fully melted. Add salt to taste.

Cover and hold over residual heat with the burner off while cooking the salmon. Whisk occasionally. Have salmon ready to cook at this point.

When ready to serve, strain the shallots out over a clean sauce pan then add herbs. Reheat gently if necessary.

Crispy Skin Salmon

6 to 8 oz. sockeye salmon fillets, skin-on, pin bones removed
olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Score salmon skin with three slashes on an angle. Scoring the salmon skin prevents it from curling while cooking according to Ramsay. Let salmon come close to room temperature before cooking. Pat dry with paper towels. Generously coat all sides of the fillets with olive oil. Season all sides with salt and pepper.

Place salmon skin-side-down in a non-stick skillet heated over medium-high heat. Cook approximately 5 to 6 minutes until skin becomes crispy. Lower heat, flip and cook the other side 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.

Hell's Kitchen & Crispy Skin Salmon

To Plate

Ladle beurre blanc onto warm plates. Arrange fennel salad on one-third, beluga lentils on another third of the plate. Set salmon, skin-side-up, over the lentils and the sauce.

Review of Hell’s Kitchen Las Vegas

Our overall ranking for Hell’s Kitchen Las Vegas was a 7 out of 10 (with food carrying more weight).

Ambience: 10 points – super-energy, great atmosphere, loved our table over-looking the Strip and Caesar’s fountains, awesome to experience the TV show kitchen.

Service: 9 points – professional and informative, not stuffy, engaging yet not intrusive, not rushed, our waiter was a long-time employee of Gordon Ramsay, just a point off for less attention to small details.

Food: 6 points – tasty but unfortunately lukewarm under-seasoned wellingtons with somewhat soggy pastry served with room-temperature potato puree; seriously disappointed with horizontally-halved slices of scallop woefully lacking golden brown sear; very much enjoyed the golden beet salad and foie gras, as well as the desserts. Extra bonus for great value: $38.95 for the excellent crispy skin salmon dish; $89.95 for prix fixe menu for scallop or beet salad starter, wellington entree, and toffee pudding dessert.

Our recommendation is to go for the total experience…it was definitely FUN!

…or re-create my crispy skin salmon version at home.