Salmon With Apricot and Fennel Tapenade

The first step is going to be preparing your fennel broth. Simply trim off the green tops of the fennel bulb and then remove the outermost layer of the bulb itself. Rinse briefly and then place in a pot with 1 liter of water and a dash of sea salt. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes to infuse the flavour of the fennel into the water.

The next step is going to be braising the fennel itself for the Tapenade. Slice the bulb in half and remove the small core at the bottom. Then, cut into chunks about 1 inch apiece.

In a medium skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the fennel chunks and a dash of salt and pepper. Sear off until the edges are just beginning to turn translucent.

De-glaze the pan with a small splash of white wine and stir the fennel until most of the liquid has cooked off.

Once the wine has largely cooked off, add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan and about halfway up the fennel chunks. Turn down the heat to LOW and cover. Allow the fennel to braise for about 10-15 minutes until fork tender and most or all of the water as cooked off. Take the pan off the heat, remove the fennel from the pan, place in a bowl, and set aside.

Place the 8 slices of dried apricot into a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until slightly reconstituted. Discard the water.

In a small food processor, blend the apricot slices, braised fennel, horseradish, half shallot, chvre, parmesan cheese, hazelnuts, and lemon juice until a thick paste is formed and there are no large chunks remaining. Add a TSP of white wine and a sprinkle of salt to taste. Blend again and check for taste. Place the Tapenade in the fridge and allow to chill while preparing the rest of the meal.

Turn your broiler on to HIGH

In the same pan that the fennel was braised in, saut over medium-low heat the other half of the shallot as well as a clove of chopped garlic in a little bit of olive oil until just translucent.

De-glaze the pan with a splash of white wine and then immediately add 3 cups of your fresh fennel broth. Bring to a low simmer.

Season your salmon fillets with salt only. Two at a time, place in the pan in simmering fennel broth and cover tightly with a lid. The liquid should come a little over halfway up the salmon and it should NOT be boiling.

Allow the salmon to steam/poach for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a broiler safe pan which has been greased with a small amount of olive oil. Repeat the steps for the remaining salmon fillets.

If quinoa is desired for the meal, use this time before broiling your salmon to prepare the quinoa according to the instructions on the package, but instead of water, discard the fennel scraps in the broth, and use your remaining fennel broth to cook the quinoa.

Just before placing the salmon under the broiler, sprinkle with a very small amount of cayenne powder and place a small nob of butter on top of each fillet.

Broil the salmon on HIGH for about 3 minutes until the tops begin to go slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven.

Serve the salmon on top of a generous dollop of your homemade Tapenade with a side of your fresh quinoa and steamed green beans. I also added a garnish of chopped hazelnuts which worked perfectly!