Beautiful Borscht Salmon

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 firm ripe beet (8 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup shallot, chopped
• 1/4 cup carrot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup napa cabbage, chopped (packed)
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup canned broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
• 1 small bay leaf
• 4 peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons creme fraiche
• 8 salmon fillets
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• coarse ground garlic salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• additional creme fraiche
• additional sprigs fresh dill

Recipe

• 1 step 1 is good to do in advance. place beet in a pot of boiling water and cook uncovered 15 minutes until semi-tender; remove from heat, cover pot, and allow beet to steam another 15 minutes; remove beet from hot water with slotted spoon; once cool, peel and dice beet.
• 2 steps 2 and 3 may also be done in advance. saute aromatic shallots, carrot, and celery in olive oil until semi-tender; stir in cabbage and garlic; add diced beet, broth, bay leaf, and peppercorns; adjust heat, cover pot and gently simmer for one half hour until vegetables are tender.
• 3 remove from heat; discard bay leaf and peppercorns; add salt, dill, and red wine vinegar; puree sauce in blender or food processor until smooth; stir in crème fraiche; taste and adjust seasonings as desired. borscht sauce may be served hot or cold; keep heated in saucepan until serving time; or chill sauce in refrigerator.
• 4 while borscht sauce is cooking, rub salmon fillets on both sides with olive oil; sprinkle salmon with garlic salt and pepper; grill fillets 4-5 minutes per side until done. to serve, plate each salmon fillet, then top with 1/4 cup (hot or cold) borscht sauce, additional crème fraiche, and sprigs of fresh dill. a beautiful presentation your dinner guests will not soon forget!
• 5 this recipe makes just over 2 cups borscht sauce. canned broth may be used to thin any unused sauce to preferred soup consistency. stir in broth and reheat, or enjoy a cold summer soup. very delicious the next day!