A Siberian New Year's Delicacy

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f you live in Yakutia – a Siberian republic roughly the size of India – you had better like fish. Fish is the staple protein for many Yakutyane (inhabitants of Yakutia), especially  those who live in the republic’s northern regions.  Beef is expensive in such northern climes, and fishing is a primary occupation, though not necessarily a lucrative one. Today, many local fisherman still cast nets made of horsehair into local rivers and streams, and their families eat fish in all conceivable ways: raw, boiled, fried, dried and salted.

Yet, as often happens, a “common” dish to some is an uncommon delicacy to others. If dining on salmon is an expensive treat in the rest of the world, it is ordinary fare to your average Yakutyane. 

These days, regional cuisines of Russia are all the rage in Moscow. The capital’s Alrosa restaurant, now features “salmon steak à la Yakut.” While the notion of a “steak” is not exactly Yakutinesque, the dish is certainly in the spirit of Sakha (as Yakutia is now called). So Russian Life asked Alrosa’s senior chef Valery Sorokin (pictured below, right), to share the restaurant’s simple yet elegant salmon recipe with our readers. It is a tasty, healthy way to start off the new millennium. 

Salmon steak à la Yakut

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds salmon steaks (4 pieces)

Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 tbsp minced fresh dill

4 lemon slices

Season the salmon steaks with salt and pepper.  Stir together the vegetable oil and lemon juice, then rub the salmon with this mixture.  In a large pan, cook the salmon over medium heat for 1 minute on each side, till lightly browned.  Add the wine, lower the heat, and cover the pan.  Simmer for 5 minutes, until the salmon is done.

Transfer the salmon to a serving dish.  Pour the pan juices over it and garnish with the olives, parsley, dill, and lemon slices.  Serve with boiled potatoes or rice and tartar sauce on the side.

Tartar sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp. ketchup

2 tbsp. minced dill pickles

1 tbsp. minced black olives

2 tsp. minced fresh parsley

2 tsp. minced fresh dill

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1⁄2 tsp. sugar, or to taste

In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and ketchup until well blended.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  

Serves 4.