Fennel and Fish - F - Alphabet Challenge

This week in the alphabet challenge is week F and I wanted to try a new ingredient - fennel! It's very versatile, you can braise or roast the bulbs, pickle the stalks, and use the fronds as garnish. I also recently finished a plating class and wanted to try to make the plate as artistic as possible. Turns out, to make a pretty plate you have to have the design idea BEFORE cooking and you'll need a few extra garnishes, purees, herbs, or sauces to add color and texture. This part definitely added to the dishwashing at the end of the meal, but the plate was beautiful to me. 
 
For this post I'm doing it a bit differently - I'm going to write the recipes for each component so you can mix and match as you please. 
 
Seared Salmon Fillet
1 Salmon Fillet, skin and bones removed
Salt and Pepper
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. avocado oil 
1 lemon
 
1. Drizzle avocado oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the salmon fillet. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes until a nice crust has formed. 
 
2. Once seared on both sides, lower the heat on the pan to medium low. Add the butter to the pan and baste the fish to continue cooking. Baste for another 2-3 minutes until salmon is done to your liking. (For thicker pieces, you can finish the salmon in the oven). 

3. Remove from pan and squeeze about 1 tsp lemon juice over the fish. Allow to rest on paper towels for 2 minutes.
 
Roasted Fennel Bulb
2 bulbs of fennel
Olive oil spray
Salt and Pepper
3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
 
1. Cut stalks from the fennel (reserve if planning to use for garnish). Cut the fennel bulb in half and remove the tough outer layers. Slice fennel into wedges, making sure to cut through the core of the fennel so the wedges stay together. 
 
2. Add fennel wedges to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spray all over with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until slightly browned, about 7-9 minutes.
 
3. Remove pan from oven and top fennel with parmesan. Place back in oven for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted. Set aside until ready plate. 
 
Pickled Shallot:
1 large shallot, thinly sliced 
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper 
 
1. Place thinly sliced shallots in a small container. Cover shallots with red wine vinegar. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Allow to sit and meld for at least two hours in the fridge or overnight. 
 
Potato Purée
 
This is just a fancy way to say mashed potatoes lol