Salmon Steak and Sauce

         My utmost favorite dish is my father's Salmon Steak with sauce usually served with a side dish of sweet potatoes. This is a dish that I always look forward to eating with my family not only because this dish is unique in taste but also because I have never encountered another dish with such a interesting history. I never gave any thought of how my dad actually came up with this dish or what the background story was. So I decided to make a phone call and ask him about the ingredients and its history.

            The story goes that he first began making the dish 42 years ago in the heartland of beef and pork.  My father grew up in a little town 40 miles northwest of Chicago. His family, like most families in the mid-west, basically didn't eat fish; they were too far from the ocean to have fresh fish available. They had pot roast, meatloaf, overcooked vegetables, and turkey or ham for holidays. He had no real idea how to prepare fish, how to select fish, or how  good fish should taste because of the simple fact that he never grew up in a fish culture.

            A good buddy  of my father, another attorney in Indianapolis, introduced me to this basic recipe. Then he began experimenting with it. My father took his basic ideas and played with it.

             Using fresh salmon is the best. Most of the time my dad just settles for frozen salmon because fresh salmon is not always available. My dad uses a glass dish to cook the salmon steak. If the salmon steaks are frozen, they should defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

            Over the years, my dad has added turmeric, dill weed, ginger, and cilantro, substituted dry mustard powder for the wet mustard (not a good idea as far as he's concerned) , and has slightly varied the proportions of ingredients. Some people prefer it more spicy, some less. But when he makes it for me, I ask for the dish to be spicy. My dad has tried multiple oils like sesame and , canola,  but likes olive oil best.

            My dad says that the most important factor is to make sure the fish is in good condition and if frozen is not suffering from freezer burn. Do not overcook the fish or bake at too high a temperature; do not overcook the final sauce and let it become liquid. The only short cuts he recommends might be to cut up the cilantro/parsley ahead of time, but that is hardly worth it. Absolutely essential ingredients are the dill weed, capers, and turmeric as these. Bring out the natural flavors for the salmon. He said he has never seen a recipe for salmon with turmeric, but the turmeric seems to add a subtle nice taste.

            I have tried making it and it's not exactly the same taste. Once I was eating salmon steak at a restaurant. There was not nearly as much flavors in the sauce and not spicy enough for my taste buds.  I hope to learn how to make this recipe the way my dad makes it and continue making it for my family and share it with friends.

~Kimberly Shadel~  Recipe

1.5 thick salmon steak                                   1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. dill weed(or to taste)                         1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 eggs whites                                                1 or 2 tbs Dijon mustard

1/2 cup low-fat yogurt                                   1/8 tsp. Worcestershire

2 fresh lemons                                               1/8 Tabasco

6 thinly sliced ginger/1/4 tsp. ginger powder    1 tbs. capers(drained)

1 tbs. ea (chives, cilantro, parsley)                 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp turmeric powder                                 1/2 tbs butter
whole peppercorns grind (to taste)
2 tbs horseradish

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Stir in a bowl the chopped parsley, chives, cilantro, turmeric, ginger, mayonnaise and, yogurt. Mix the oil and lemon juice then coat the bottom surface of pan. Place Salmon steaks on pan with butter placed on top. Spread the yogurt sauce on top as well. Bake for 18-20 minutes. In another bowl mix horseradish, sour cream, mustard, dill weed, Worcestershire, Tabasco, capers, yogurt. Beat egg whites until stiff then gently slide into small sauce pan and heat at low temperature for 2-3 minutes. Fold gently a few times then add the horseradish mixture to sauce pan. Continue folding. Remove the steaks onto paper towels to remove excess oils then grind peppercorns on top. On a plate at the warm sauce on top of Salmon Steaks and serve with a desires garnish and side dish.