Salmon with Shallot-Red Wine Reduction Sauce

from Wine with Marguerite Thomas 

submitted by Jeanne Milligan

preparation time: about 1 hour

serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1½ cups minced shallots

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 cup chicken stock

1½ cups red wine

2 teaspoons minced parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice*

Cayenne to taste (optional)

salt and pepper

1½ pounds cooked salmon fillet (prepared as you like it – poached, grilled, broiled, etc.)

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet. When the butter foams, add the shallots, garlic and bay leaf. Cook over medium-to-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the shallots have softened; then add the chicken stock and red wine. Raise the heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil, until the mixture has reduced by half (20 to 30 minutes). Add the parsley (and Cayenne, if using) and continue cooking for another couple of minutes. Spoon the sauce over the salmon.

*If you want a sauce that is robust, yet not too rich, stir in the lemon juice towards the end of the cooking period, which adds a bright, refreshing note and lightens the texture. For a dense sauce with somewhat more intense favor, add the lemon juice earlier, along with the chicken stock and wine.

Serve with red wine (soft and supple) or a full-bodied Chardonnay.