Amuse Bouche – Flash Poached Scottish Salmon in Lime Oil; Olive in 3 Forms, (and of course) Cardoons

Salmon is one of those items I have deemed a  restaurant like ours unfortunately cannot be without. Despite being happy with the quality of the fish (farmed Scottish) I really am tired of looking at it.
But what can I do? It’s one of our best sellers. And though our preparations have changed several times since our opening, I find it to be a fish that could not be more status quo, play it safe, boring, middle of the road, bourgeois, plain Jane, mundane, and is simply a pain to my brain that may drive me insane.
Can you tell I’m tired of it?
Were I doing it seasonally when it is available wild, I’m sure I’d be much more excitable. After all, it is a flavorful fish that never did anything to me. It also lends itself well to many assertive flavors.
Luckily enough, the last 2 times I’ve used it in our daily amuse I’ve come up with preparations worthy of menu changes. This being #2.
Contrary to my disdain for it here, the last time I did salmon as an amuse I used it as a means to describe my creative process!
See here - http://thepickledtongue.com/?p=217

The salmon we received as a sample from a fish purveyor trying to make their way through our doors. It is ‘flash poached’ in a lime-virgin olive oil @ 140 degrees simply to remove the rawness.

Old Fashioned Thermal Circulator

The olive makes its way in 3 forms: as a salt on top of the fish, slices of nicoise olives, and a tapenade on the base of the bowl. A small pool of basil oil is on the base and the cardoons prop up the fish. Micro greens round it out.