Salmon in Vodka Cream Sauce

Source: www.recipes.epicurean.com

The flavors in the dish were not interesting and overall it was on the bland side. I have heard raves about vodka pasta sauce and perhaps it is a wonderful sauce and I just need to find the right recipe. I may visit this idea again sometime in the future. Stay tuned.

Seafood Ingredients:
8 tablespoons butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 pound spinach
6 6 ounce salmon filets
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup vodka
2 tablespoons green peppercorns in water, drained and crushed
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine 4 tablespoons butter and onion in large Dutch oven. Cover and bake until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir spinach into onion and bake until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven; keep warm. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add salmon in batches and cook about 3 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Pour off excess oil from skillet. Add cream and vodka and boil until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add green peppercorns and remaining 4 tablespoons butter and stir until butter is just melted. Mix in lime juice, season with salt and pepper. Divide spinach and onion mixture among plates. Top each with salmon fillet. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with snipped fresh chives.

My variations: I cubed the salmon and added to the sauce and served over angel hair pasta. I had some mushrooms I wanted to use so I added those to the onion mixture toward the end of cooking. I used black peppercorns in place of the green. I used half and half in place of the whipping cream.

Next up: Red Beans and Rice from the Commander's Kitchen Cookbook by Ti Adelaide and Jamie Shannon of The Commander's Palace in New Orleans.