RECIPE FOR SALMON FILET AND THREE GARLIC HASH

 
Stirling Matheson

FROM STIRLING MATHESON, FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, BALLET THEATRE OF INDIANA

 
Stirling Matheson Salmon Filet and Three Garlic Hash
Below is my recipe. It’s certainly for garlic lovers, but it’s not overpowering and showcases the full range of flavors that can be extracted from garlic. The black garlic can be hard to find, but it’s worth seeking out (makes a great add-in for scrambled eggs too).
— Stirling Matheson

SERVES:
1

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR




INGREDIENTS
A filet of salmon
Fresh garlic bulb, one 1 clove minced
Japanese black garlic, minced
Scallion, chopped
2 medium sized, medium-waxy potatoes (Yukon gold is a good choice)
Fresh black pepper
¼ cup dried cranberries
8 Brussels sprouts, quartered
2 slices thick cut bacon cut into small pieces
Parsley, ½ handful
Tsp black vinegar (a rice vinegar)
Chipotle chili powder

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut the top ½” off of the top of a head of garlic and mostly peel it, so that just the skins of the individual cloves remain. Place it in an oven-safe vessel slightly larger than the head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and cover with aluminum foil.

  2. Roast the garlic in a 400-degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until the garlic is brown, soft, and sweet. Chop roughly when done.

  3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil

  4. Cut your potatoes into small cubes 0.75-1”. Use a white or red waxy potato. A russet is too starchy and will fall apart in cooking and a high wax potato won’t shed enough starch to tie the hash together.

  5. Parboil the potatoes. You don’t want them edible yet, as they’ll get finished in the pan, but you don’t want to need to cook them for nine years in the pan.

  6. While the potatoes are boiling, fry the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet

  7. Remove the bacon and most of the grease and add the three kinds of garlic, scallion, and Brussels sprouts into the pan, sprinkle with kosher salt, and saute until the black garlic starts to dissolve, and the fresh garlic becomes translucent

  8. Use ½ cup of the salty potato water to deglaze the frying pan

  9. Add the parboiled potatoes, cranberries, a splash of black vinegar, some chipotle chili powder, and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. 

  10. Cook until the potatoes and Brussels are fork-tender and some of the starch from the potatoes mixes with the fond and the liquids to tie the hash together. Add chopped parsley 1-2 minutes before the potatoes and Brussels sprouts finish cooking.

  11. Serve as a bed under the salmon fillet, cooked as you like it. Personally, I prefer a sushi-grade piece of salmon medium-rare with crispy skin.