Salmon - King of Versatility

- Salt to taste

- 2 teaspoons butter

- ¼ cup chopped onions or shallots

- 2 teaspoons capers

- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Choose a medium, non-stick sauté pan with a tight fitting lid. Heat the pan for a minute using medium high heat - nonstick cookware should never be used with high heat – until the pan is very hot. Place the fillet of salmon, skin side down, in the pan and immediately cover. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tip of a knife can flake the upper layer of the salmon. Remove the salmon to a heated plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour off any fat; then add the butter to the hot pan. Add the onion and cook for a minute; then add the capers and cook another minute. Finish by adding the lemon juice, pour the sauce over the salmon, and serve immediately.

An alternative to this pan sauce is vinaigrette with a lot of shallots. If you don’t have a favorite vinaigrette, use the following. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, add 4 Tablespoons minced shallots, 2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard, 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Shake vigorously until the salt is dissolved. Add ½ cup of good tasting olive oil and shake.

“Gravlax”, a luxury item usually used as an appetizer, is raw salmon marinated in a dry cure of salt, sugar, and dill. The name means “salmon from the grave” referring to the Swedish practice of burying cured salmon in the ground to preserve it. It is simple to make, although you do need to start four days before serving.

- A 3 pound salmon fillet, with the skin on

- 2 Tablespoons salt

- 1 Tablespoon sugar

- 4 Tablespoons Cognac or Vodka, optional

- Fresh dill, at least 1 cup packed

Cut the salmon fillet in half, crossways. Place one fillet, skin side down, on a piece of cheesecloth, (preferably) or plastic wrap. Place the other fillet, also skin side down, next to the first fillet. Mix the salt and sugar in a small bowl, and work the mixture into the top of both pieces. Sprinkle on the Cognac or vodka, if using. Layer all the dill on the salmon piece lying on the cheesecloth. Fold the other salmon fillet on top of the dill, so that the skin is exposed.

Using the cheesecloth, wrap

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