I have been envisioning stacks of swirled veggies, whipped and whirled green and white, coupled with the amazingly brilliant and deep luscious coral hue of Copper River Sockeye salmon for weeks now.

You see, Copper River salmon is one of those rare gems that is only available for just a few weeks out of the year. And, in my neck of the woods, fresh fish – really fresh fish – is a rarity as it is… Oh, PDX and CA there are so many things I miss about you…And France, I’m headed your way…

In any case, with great anticipation, I dreamed of the arrival of the king beast of the sea, and all the colors and flavors for pairing. – oh, and don’t get me wrong, I pondered a pairing of the vine as well.

So, here we have it. The brassicas, swirled, whipped, and whirled, together with savory scents of fresh rosemary, stacked alongside magnificently made Copper River salmon and Perfectly Pickled Seeds.

Swirled Veggie Stacks and Copper River Salmon

Serves 2

1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup broccoli florets
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. Great Lakes Gelatin
1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 lbs. fresh Copper River Salmon
sea salt and pepper

2 Tbs. Perfectly Pickled Seeds
Using two small sauce pots, boil or steam the two veggies separately until soft. Drain each and transfer separately to a high speed blender. Using half the salt and half the rosemary for each veggie, puree the two separately from each other. Swirl the two colored batches of puree together in a separate bowl with a spoon, as you stir in the gelatin, evenly distributing the powder.
Line four round biscuit cutters with plastic wrap and evenly distribute the swirled puree among the four. Allow to chill and set until “hardened” into a gelatin “gel” for several hours in the refrigerator. Once set, remove from fridge and allow to come to room temperature.

Meanwhile…about 20-25 minutes before plating the food, preheat the oven to 500 degrees, as well as a cast-iron grill pan. (Alternatively, the salmon can be grilled). Place the well seasoned (with salt and pepper) salmon skin-side down on the grill pan. Roast for about 6-7 minutes, cooked rare to your preference. Remove from oven.

Remove the swirled veggie cakes from plastic wrap and stack, two per plate. Serve alongside cooked salmon and drizzled with 1 Tbs. pickled seeds per plate.

Best paired with Giesta Dão from Portugal.