Confit salmon with cauliflower mash and caper beurre blanc
This recipe, cooked by Elias, chef at the 2-Michelin-starred restaurant Speisemeisterei in Stuttgart, brings precise craftsmanship to your kitchen. At its heart is a cooking method that keeps fish exceptionally succulent: low-temperature confit.
The salmon remains tender and translucent in the center. It's served with a chunky cauliflower mash with a delicate miso note and a buttermilk and caper beurre blanc that combines freshness and acidity. Crispy capers add a delightful finishing touch.
This recipe is for you if you see technology not as a challenge, but as inspiration, and if you want to create culinary moments from high-quality ingredients.
75 min
Total Time
40 min
Cooking Time
35 min
Preperation Time
Ingredients
| CLARIFIED BUTTERMILK (FOR THE BEURRE BLANC): | |
| 250 g | Buttermilk |
| WHITE WINE REDUCTION (FOR THE BEURRE BLANC): | |
| 150 g | White wine |
| 1 | Shallot, finely chopped |
| 1 | Bay leaf |
| BUTTERMILK-CAPER BEURRE-BLANC: | |
| 150 g | clarified buttermilk |
| 125 g | White wine reduction |
| 25 g | Caper water |
| 125 g | cold butter, cubed |
| FRIED CAPERS: | |
| Capers | |
| Oil for deep-frying | |
| PICKLED CAULIFLOWER: | |
| 5 | small cauliflower florets |
| Caper water (from the caper jar) | |
| MASHED CAULIFLOWER: | |
| 500 g | Cauliflower |
| 50 g | Cream |
| 50 g | Butter |
| 2 tsp | white miso |
| CONFECTED FISH: | |
| 400 g | Fish fillet (e.g. salmon trout) |
| Brine (5%) | |
| Oil for confit |
Instructions
Step 1 of 7:
Clarify the buttermilk: Place the buttermilk in a saucepan and heat until it comes to a boil and the protein and whey separate. Strain the whey through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Use the drained whey (= clarified buttermilk) for the sauce and discard the solids.
Step 2 of 7:
For the white wine reduction: Reduce the white wine, shallot, and bay leaf in a saucepan to about half. Pass through a fine sieve and set the reduction aside for the sauce.
Step 3 of 7:
Prepare the beurre blanc: Place the clarified buttermilk, white wine reduction, and caper liquid together in a saucepan, season to taste, and bring to a boil once. Then remove the saucepan from the heat. Blend in the cold butter with an immersion blender until a stable emulsion forms. Optional: For more binding, mix a little cornstarch with cold water, stir it in, and briefly bring to a boil once, then blend in the butter. Keep the sauce warm only; do not boil again, otherwise the emulsion will split.
Step 4 of 7:
Fry the capers: First pat the capers thoroughly dry. Heat the oil in a small, deep saucepan to 160–180 °C. Fry the capers until they burst open and are crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
Step 5 of 7:
For the cauliflower mash, divide the cauliflower into florets (set some aside for pickling). Cook the remaining cauliflower in salted water until soft, then drain well. Roughly mash with cream and butter (do not puree). Season with salt and miso. For Serve, fold in finely chopped chives.
Step 6 of 7:
Confit the salmon: For the brine, bring water with 5 % salt to a boil once, then let it cool completely. Fully cover the fish with the cold brine and leave for about 15 minutes depending on thickness. Remove, rinse briefly, and pat dry. Preheat oil in a suitable dish in the oven to 55 °C. Fully cover the fish with oil and confit at 55 °C for 10–15 minutes. Doneness test: Pierce with a thin skewer – if it slides through without resistance, the fish is perfect. Neither undercooked nor overcooked.
Step 7 of 7:
Serving: Place the cauliflower mash in the center, arrange the confit fish on top or beside it. Stir chives and caviar (optional) into the buttermilk-caper beurre blanc and pour onto the plate. Scatter pickled cauliflower florets and fried capers over the fish. Enjoy your meal!
