King Salmon / Haricots Verts / Champagne Sauce Recipe

Prep

Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides and the skin lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature 10–15 minutes while you start the sauce and beans.

Pan-sear Salmon

Heat a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter and let butter foam. When the fat is shimmering but not smoking, place salmon fillets skin-side down, spacing them so they don't touch. Press gently with a spatula for 10 seconds to keep skin flat. Cook skin-side down without moving for 4–5 minutes, until skin is crisp and the fillet is cooked about two-thirds of the way up.

Finish

Flip fillets and cook for 1–2 minutes more for medium-rare to medium depending on thickness (internal temp ~125–130°F/51–54°C for medium-rare). Remove to a warm plate, squeeze a little lemon over each fillet, tent loosely with foil and rest while finishing sauce and beans (3–4 minutes).

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add haricots verts and blanch for 2–3 minutes until bright green and just tender. Prepare an ice bath. Drain the beans and plunge immediately into the ice bath to stop cooking and preserve color. Drain thoroughly and pat dry.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter foams, add the sliced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the drained beans, sea salt and black pepper. Toss to coat and sauté 1–2 minutes until heated through and garlic is soft.

Remove from heat, stir in lemon zest and toasted sliced almonds if using. Keep warm until plating.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the minced shallots and the champagne. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup (this will take 6–8 minutes). Watch carefully to avoid burning off all liquid.

Add the white wine vinegar and simmer 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Warm the mixture gently for 1–2 minutes; do not boil aggressively.

Off the heat, whisk in the cold cubed butter a few pieces at a time to build an emulsified sauce (mounting butter). After all butter is incorporated, whisk in Dijon mustard and chopped tarragon. Season with sea salt and white or black pepper to taste. If sauce is too thin, return to very low heat and whisk until slightly thickened; if too thick, whisk in a splash of warm champagne or cream to adjust consistency.

Keep sauce warm (not boiling) until ready to serve. Taste and adjust seasoning; if it tastes too sharp, a small pinch of sugar (1/8 tsp) can round it.

Place a small handful of microgreens or baby arugula in the center of each warmed plate (optional). Arrange a portion of haricots verts beside or over the greens.

Set a salmon fillet, skin-side up or down per preference, on the plate next to the beans. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of warm champagne sauce over the top of each fillet and a little around the plate for presentation.

Garnish with a lemon wedge and a few extra snips of tarragon or a sprinkle of toasted almonds. Serve immediately.