Roast Salmon with Aberlour and Orange Jus
Served with Dauphinoise Potatoes and baby Asparagus, garnished with nuggets of Black Pudding

Aberlour 16 year old has a hint of spice that will lift the flavour of the salmon and a touch of orange on the palate which matches perfectly with the orange jus.
This dish was Graham’s award winning main course in the Spirit of Speyside Chef of the Year 2007 Competition.

Serves 4

Dauphinoise Potatoes
1 knob butter for greasing the baking dish
1 clove of garlic peeled
750g waxy potatoes peeled and finely sliced
1 medium onion, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
100ml vegetable stock
50ml double cream

Salmon
4 fillets fresh salmon (approximately 175g each, skin on, scales removed. Ask your fishmonger to do this for you)
a little plain flour for dusting the salmon
salt and pepper for seasoning the flour
olive oil and butter for frying
50g salmon roe

Sauce
100ml Aberlour 16 year old Malt Whisky
100ml fish stock (or use a vegetable stock)
100ml vegetable stock
juice of 1 orange
pinch of orange zest
honey to taste
salt and pepper to season
a knob of unsalted butter

Vegetables and Garnish
12 baby asparagus spears, steamed lightly
175g spring greens washed and sliced - hard stalks removed, steamed and a little butter added plus salt and pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg
2 slices of black pudding, cut into small triangles or cubes, fried until crisped.

Dauphinoise Potatoes Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 5
This can be cooked the day before if necessary, and be warmed through before serving.

Take a shallow 20cm baking dish, butter the sides and rub with the garlic. Now neatly arrange the sliced potatoes and onions in alternate layers, seasoning each layer and ending with a layer of potatoes. Next add the vegetable stock and cover with tin foil. Place the dish in the oven for 35 – 40 minutes until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a sharp skewer.

Remove the foil and add 50ml double cream and place back in the oven to brown for a further 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside.

Salmon Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 5
Wash and then dry the salmon with a kitchen towel. Now dust the skin side with a little seasoned flour and pat off any excess. Set aside while you heat a large non stick pan with a little oil and butter. When hot, place the salmon skin side down in the pan, turn the heat down to medium and fry gently until the skin has browned. Sear the salmon on the remaining sides then transfer them to an ovenproof dish and place in oven for 5 - 8 minutes. The time will vary according to how you like your salmon cooked.

Sauce
In a heavy based sauté pan reduce the fish stock by ½ then add the Whisky and reduce by ½, now add the vegetable stock and reduce by ½. Add the orange juice and orange zest and reduce by a little. Add the honey to taste; it balances the bitterness of the whisky and the reduced orange.

Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

You can prepare the sauce to this point earlier in the day and reheat ready to finish as below.

Just before serving whisk in a little unsalted butter to emulsify the sauce.

To Serve
Cut a slice of Dauphinoise potato and place on the centre of each plate, top with spring greens and then the salmon, skin side up. Pour a little sauce around the plate, decorating it with the black pudding and asparagus spears. Top the salmon with a little salmon roe then serve and wait for the applause!