A pair of confits for the home chef

• Traditional French technique reincarnated and updated

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

A salmon fillet becomes salmon confit when seasoned with salt and pepper and then cooked in a bath of extra-virgin olive oil in an extremely slow oven, 200 degrees or cooler. Photos by Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

Philippe Padovani's salmon confit, served in a delicate vegetable broth, is a delicious dish that's actually rather healthful and not too filling. The recipe may seem a bit intimidating because of its length, but the techniques are simple: chopping, simmering and oil-poaching. The progression is: Make a vegetable stock (which can be done in advance), finish the stock with some bright-tasting ingredients and a little butter, prepare the salmon at the last minute, and plate the dish.

If you don't want to do the broth, Padovani says, try the salmon confit over rice, or lightly buttered, herbed pasta.

Salmon Confit with Lemongrass Broth

For the vegetable broth:

• 2 cups white wine
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 whole cloves
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 bouquet garni (bay leaves, parsley)
• 1 tablespoon rock salt
• Dash of white pepper
• Pinch of cayenne

Finishing the broth:

• 8 yellow pear tomatoes, halved*
• 8 red pear tomatoes, halved*
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, petals only
• 1 cup button mushrooms
• 12 stalks asparagus
• 4 tablespoons butter, diced cold
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chives, for garnish

For the salmon:

• 8 (3-ounce) strips of salmon
• 1 quart extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and white pepper to taste

To prepare broth: Bring the water and wine to a boil. Add the chopped vegetables, herbs, lemon juice. Continue to boil for another 20 minutes. After 15 minutes, add salt and pepper and cayenne. Finish last five minutes of boiling, then strain stock through a fine sieve. Discard solids. If you're serving right away, keep stock warm; otherwise, refrigerate, then finish stock when needed.

To prepare asparagus: Peel and wash asparagus. Boil a pot of water, add a pinch of rock salt, then asparagus. When asparagus is bright green and cooked al dente, remove from hot water and plunge into ice bath to stop cooking. Drain; slice asparagus diagonally. Set aside.

To prepare broth of button mushrooms: Slice each mushroom into six pieces. Heat 2 cups of vegetable broth in a medium pot over high heat, but not to boiling. Add thyme, button mushrooms, tomatoes and asparagus. Add butter and swirl the pot. Do not let the broth boil. Season to taste with salt, pepper and chives, stirring ingredients in very gently.

To cook salmon: In a Teflon pan or other 2 1/2-inch high saute pan, preheat olive oil in 175-degree oven. Season salmon strips with salt and pepper. When the oil is warm, gently place the salmon in the oil. Cook in 175-degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once with slotted spatula.

To plate: Warm four large soup plates. Place two salmon fillets in the center of each plate and pour broth over (about 1/2 cup broth for each plate). Serve at once.

*If you can't find pear tomatoes, use cherry tomatoes.

Oil-poaching salmon

Here's a basic home guide for oil-poaching salmon. Fill a baking pan or casserole with enough olive oil to cover the fillet. An 8-inch square Pyrex cake pan took the whole of a 51-ounce (1.5 liter) bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Place the oil in an oven pre-heated to its lowest setting (150-200 degrees for most ovens); heat for 15-20 minutes.

When I tested this recipe, 20 minutes at 200 degrees yielded oil that registered 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (The instant-read thermometer is a vital tool if you're going to try oil-poaching.)

Four 3-by-3-inch pieces of salmon cooked beautifully in just 5 minutes. It's important, Padovani warns, to use a slotted spatula to lift the fish out; it will break apart if you use a fork. The oil can be re-used once for salmon or other seafood.

Oil-poached 'ahi tombo is quick and easy to prepare, and the method of cooking allows even well-done fish to remain moist.

Use grapeseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Pour enough olive into a small saucepan or saute pan to cover 'ahi fillet(s). Heat oil over high heat to 180 degrees. Add 'ahi. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5-10 minutes, to desired degree of doneness. (You'll have to experiment to get this right.)

I tested this recipe with 'ahi tombo, less costly than sashimi-grade 'ahi, and was pleased with the results; in a sandwich with tartar sauce on crusty country-style French bread, the tuna was memorable.

Oil-poached chicken, steak

Just for a lark, I tried poaching bone-in chicken thighs in olive oil, as well as some pieces of sirloin steak (remember fondue?). Pour 2-4 inches of olive oil into a baking dish. Place in 200-degree oven and heat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, season the chicken or steak with salt and pepper (garlic and herbs, too, if you like). Place meat in warmed oil.

Two pieces of bone-in chicken thigh took 1 1/2 hours; juices should run clear. The steak (pieces of about 3-by-3 inches) took about 40 minutes and was literally fork tender.

Serve the meats over hot rice or pasta, or chill them (bone the chicken) and use them in a salad.

This onion confit is one of dozens of variations on this theme: Alter the ingredients to suit your taste, adding an herb that you prefer, using honey, molasses or other sweetener instead of brown sugar, experimenting with different types of wine and different vinegars. This is Anne Katagawa's favorite.

Anne's Onion Confit

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 large Maui onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low and cook, without stirring, until it is lightly browned. Transfer to a large, heavy-bottom saucepan or dutch oven.

Peel the onions, cut them in half and slice thinly. Add them to the butter and set over medium heat. Add the salt, pepper and brown sugar and stir to coat the onions well. Cover the pan and cook 5 minutes, until the onions begin to release their liquid. Add the wine, vinegars and olive oil and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan partially. Decrease the heat to low and cook about 1 1/2-2 hours, or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed and the mixture is thick and slightly syrupy. Watch carefully toward the end of cooking and adjust the heat accordingly. Serve warm or pack into jars and refrigerate.