Spiced Steamed Salmon with Chutney and Chard

This is an amazing recipe to spice up any salmon dish, courtesy of Daniel Boulud in Cafe Boulud Cookbook. If you've run out of ideas with salmon recipes, I highly recommend this delicious and HEALTHY(a french cooked dish without any cream?!? blasphemy!)dish. 

With fiber, fruit, antioxidant greens, and a punchy flavor, you won't be able to tell that it's good for you. 

The recipe is made of four parts: The Pineapple and Cherry Chutney, Lightly Curried Lemongrass Broth, Swiss Chard, and Curry rubbed Salmon.

Chutney: 
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 small apple, diced
1/8 pineapple, diced (I just used canned pineapple chunks, which work just fine)

1/4 piquillo pepper or roasted red peppers
1 tbsp of cherries, diced
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Madras curry powder
1/2 cup rice vinegar
salt and freshly ground white pepper

Heat the oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook until onions are translucent and add in apple, pineapple, pepper, cherries, sugar, and curry powder and cook until fruits are tender, NOT mushy.
Pour in rice vinegar, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is reduced by a half.
Take the chutney off the flame and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until serving time.
Chutney can be made ahead of time and warmed when served.

Broth: 
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. finely diced onion
1 tbsp. finely diced carrot
1 tsp. Madras curry powder
1 tbsp. grated peeled ginger
1 tbsp. finely chopped lemongrass bulb- remove the outer hard leaves and bruise the inner soft bulb for the broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups unsalted Chicken Stock
salt and pepper

Cutting the hard outer leaves of the lemongrass 

In a separate saucepan, warm the oil and when hot, add the carrots and onions. Cook until onions are translucent and add in the curry powder, ginger, and lemon grass. Let the mixture sit for around 2 minutes and add the white wine. Cook until the wine evaporates, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the broth simmer for 20 min. Remove the solids and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the warm broth onto the salmon and chard when serving.

Chard: 
2 lbs. of swiss chard, leaves only cut into thin strands
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

Boil the chard in salt water for about 5 minutes, drain well afterwards. Warm oil and sauté chard for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon chard onto shallow soup plates and start preparing the salmon.

Salmon:
4 Salmon fillets, skin on
1 tsp. Madras curry powder
salt and pepper

so much steam!!!

Rub the salmon filets with curry powder and salt and pepper. To steam the fish, use a large stockpot with around 1-2 inches of water at the bottom and wait for the water to boil. Place a rack at the bottom so that the plate with the fish does not touch the water. Place the fillets, skin side down on the plate and lower it into the stockpot, steaming for 10 minutes.

Arrange salmon over chard before pouring the broth over the fish. Finish with the pineapple cherry chutney and serve!

Tuck in!