At Seattle-based PCC Community Markets, chef Lynne Vea designs seasonal and healthful recipes for shoppers to curate in store and recreate at home. As the local grocery chain’s culinary innovation specialist and a graduate of the Executive Chef Program at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Vea uses her global travels as an inspirational base to her regionally focused cuisine. The chef follows the mantra of the market: As an avid proponent of local, organic, sustainable foods, she rejoices in resources of the Pacific Northwest.
“There is so much anticipation each year as the days lengthen and we celebrate the bounty of the Northwest fields and waters,” Vea says of her motivation behind her recipe for salmon with strawberry-wine sauce. “This recipe combines two of our most iconic local ingredients in a perfect marriage of flavors… In addition to a marvelous balance of sweet and tart, [strawberries] have a distinctively spicy note, especially at peak season, that makes them a perfect addition to wine-based reduction sauce.”
In this recipe, Vea also avoids corn, dairy, eggs, gluten, peanuts, soy and tree nuts, keeping the focus clean and centered on the salmon and its strawberry-wine sauce. Oh, and the wine.
“With salmon, and especially with the addition of strawberries, the juicy, red berry notes of Southern Rhône-style reds are an excellent choice,” the chef adds. “Orr Wines Grenache or Syncline Subduction Red would be two of my recommendations. Some of our favorite Northwest growers claim that Grenache should be made like Pinot Noir, bringing out [these] bright, just-ripe flavors.”
Vea would use the same wine in the sauce and in your glass when preparing this summer delight, noting she is a firm believer in cooking with a wine you enjoy drinking. “If I do choose to serve, say, a treasured bottle of something I have been stashing away with the actual dinner, I will tend to pick a quality wine with the same varietal characteristics with which to cook.” We couldn’t agree more.
Salmon with Strawberry-Wine Sauce
Recipe by Chef Lynne Vea of PCC Community Markets
Serves 4
4(4-ounce) salmon fillets
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, plus whole 4 sprigs
¼ cup minced shallots
½ cup red wine
¼ cup strawberry or blackberry jam
1 cup chopped strawberries
Preheat oven 425° F. Drizzle the salmon fillets with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the whole rosemary sprigs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place salmon fillets on top. Roast until the salmon is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and chopped rosemary and cook until shallots are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine and jam, cooking until sauce is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Toss the chopped strawberries into the sauce and continue to cook until lightly glazed, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, plate the warm salmon fillets and top with the strawberry sauce.
