Peppered Salmon with Mashed Potatoes with Leeks.
When friends and family descend upon you, for whatever reason, nothing comes in handier than a repertoire of fast, uncomplicated and reasonably priced recipes for entertaining.
One dish that has garnered great reviews and fits these criteria is Peppered Salmon with Mashed Potatoes with Leeks. The salmon takes less than 15 minutes to prep and only10 minutes in the oven, while the potatoes require about 30 minutes total. Each recipe calls for minimal ingredients, all of which are available at most supermarkets.
Best of all, this duo is loaded with flavor. A simple mixture of coarse black pepper, kosher salt and butter tops the fillets and adds a sharp, spicy accent, while a squeeze of lemon juice provides a bright citrus note. Chopped leeks sauteed in butter and simmered in stock make good mashed potatoes even better.
Peppered salmon
with mashed potatoes with leeks
Serves 4
Potatoes:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups finely chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
1⁄2 cup reduced sodium chicken stock
1⁄2 cup whole milk, or more if needed
Black pepper Salmon:
4 salmon fillets, about 3⁄4 inch thick and 6 ounces each
4 teaspoons black peppercorns, coarsely ground
1⁄2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature plus extra for baking sheet
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley, plus 4 sprigs
4 thick lemon wedges
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the leeks. Heat butter in a medium, heavy skillet over medium low heat. When hot, add leeks and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully and lower heat if necessary. Add stock and cook until almost all liquids have evaporated, about 4 minutes.
When done, drain potatoes and return to pot. Stir in milk and leeks. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Add extra milk if you want potatoes to be more creamy. Cover potatoes and keep warm while you bake the salmon. (Potatoes can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cover pot and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat, stirring constantly, until warm or reheat in a bowl in microwave.)
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 450 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange salmon, skin side down, on it. Run your fingers over salmon and remove any bones with clean tweezers. Combine pepper, salt, and butter in a small bowl, and dot each fillet with some of this mixture.
Bake salmon 6 minutes, then use a small spatula to spread the pepper mixture evenly over the tops of the salmon. Bake 3 to 4 minutes more or until flesh is opaque and flakes easily when pierced with a knife.
Slide a spatula under each fillet and lift, leaving skins on baking sheet, to a dinner plate. Add a mound of potatoes and sprinkle both with parsley. Garnish each serving with a lemon wedge and parsley sprig.
• Betty Rosbottom is a cooking school director and author of "Sunday Soup," Chronicle Books, 2008.