Seared Salmon with Creamy Leek Rice
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Golden salmon fillets on a bed of rice folded with softened leeks and a white wine cream sauce, finished with fresh dill.
- Total
- 42 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 32
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Searing · Deglazing
Instructions
-
Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Bring 300 ml water to a boil in the small pot, add the rice and 0.5 tsp salt, cover and simmer on low until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
~18 min
Rinsing washes away surface starch so the grains stay separate, and the tight lid traps steam so the rice cooks evenly without stirring.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the rice cooks, trim the leeks, halve them lengthways and slice into 1 cm pieces. Rinse well in a bowl of water to release grit, then drain.
~5 min
Leeks trap soil between their layers, so slicing first and then rinsing lets the grit sink free instead of staying hidden inside.
-
Pat the salmon fillets dry and season both sides with the remaining 0.5 tsp salt and the black pepper. Heat the olive oil in the large frying pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles.
~3 min
A dry surface and a properly hot pan are what let the salmon brown rather than steam in its own moisture.
-
Lay the salmon in the pan skin side down and sear undisturbed until the skin is crisp and releases easily, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the centre reaches 63°C and flakes. Lift onto a plate.
~7 min
Searing skin side down first and leaving it alone builds a crisp crust; moving it early tears the skin before it releases naturally.
Pat the salmon very dry and start it skin side down in a hot pan; a dry surface and a single layer are what give crisp skin rather than steamed fish.
Searing Get the pan properly hot and lay the fish in skin side down, then leave it alone until the skin releases on its own; nudging it early tears the skin.
-
Lower the heat to medium, add the leeks to the same pan and cook in the salmon fat until soft and sweet, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits, then stir in 120 ml cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
~12 min
The wine deglazes the browned fond into the sauce, and simmering evaporates water so the cream thickens enough to cling to the rice.
Add the white wine only after the leeks are soft: the wine deglazes the fond and its acidity keeps the cream sauce from tasting flat.
Deglazing Pour the wine in while the pan is still hot and scrape the browned bits loose with a wooden spoon so they dissolve into the sauce instead of burning.
-
Fold the cooked rice into the creamy leeks, taste and adjust salt. Return the salmon to the pan, spoon some sauce over, scatter the dill and serve.
~2 min
