Ben’s Beautiful Braised Salmon

Directions

Prep the Aromatics (Ideally the Night Before):

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   1.

   In a bowl, combine: 1 sliced large onion, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp celery seeds, 2 chopped carrots. Cover the veggies in 1.5–2 cups of herbicide- and pesticide-free red wine. Let soak 8–12 hours in the fridge to infuse.

Start the Base:

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   In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the soaked aromatics and begin to brown them. Add in a few bay leaves, along with: Salt, pepper, and garlic salt, to taste. After about 4 minutes, stir in a handful of fresh parsley, chopped.

Reduce the Wine:

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   Stir in the soaking wine and allow it to reduce by half. Once reduced, add another ½ cup of wine and reduce again for about 8 more minutes.

Prep & Braise the Salmon:

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   Preheat oven to 375°F. Season Seatopia salmon filets with fresh ground pepper. Place filets skin-side down into the wine-braising liquid—about ⅓ of the way submerged. Turn off the burner, cover the pot with parchment paper first, then the lid.

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   Transfer the covered pot to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Halfway through cooking, spoon some braising liquid over the top of each filet to keep it juicy.

Optional Final Touch – Make the Drizzle:

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   In a separate pan, pour off a few ladles of braising liquid. Add ½ tablespoon of butter and simmer until slightly thickened. Spoon this glossy red wine drizzle over the salmon just before serving.

Serve It Up:

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   Serve each filet with a generous spoon of the wine-butter sauce. Pair with: Crusty homemade bread or A garden salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and marinated raspberries in a white balsamic vinaigrette.