Salmon Steaks with Red-Wine Butter
Succulent salmon steaks topped with a rich, homemade red wine butter sauce. The sauce combines the deep flavors of red wine, shallots, and orange with a balsamic reduction for an elegant main course.
Ingredients
- •1 cup full-bodied dry red wine such as Côtes du Rhône
- •⅓ cup finely chopped shallots (3 to 4)
- •½ cup fresh orange juice
- •¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- •1 teaspoon tomato paste
- •1 piece Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
- •1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
- •1 stick stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- •1 teaspoon salt
- •¼ teaspoon black pepper
- •4 piece (1-inch-thick) salmon steaks (each about 1/2 lb)
- •2 tablespoons olive oil
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Combine wine, shallots, juice, vinegar, tomato paste, and bay leaf in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan and boil over moderately high heat until mixture is thick and jamlike and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer mixture to a small bowl set in a bowl of ice and cold water and stir until cold to the touch, about 5 minutes. Remove from ice water and stir in zest, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
25 min
- 2.
Preheat broiler. Line rack of a broiler pan with foil.
5 min
- 3.
Pat fish dry, then brush both sides with oil (2 tablespoons total) and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Broil fish about 5 inches from heat, turning over once, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total.
10 min
- 4.
Top each steak with 1 to 2 tablespoons red-wine butter.
2 min