From: Chef Jason Wilson, Crush, Seattle, WA. Yield: 4 servings.
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1¼ cups whole milk
1¼ cups chicken broth
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp. bacon fat
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
¾ cup instant white corn grits
1 Tbsp. minced chives
4 (4-6 oz. each) Wild Alaska Salmon, skin-on
½ cup olive oil
½ dill pickle
½ cup chives, chopped fine
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. capers, smashed and chopped
1 cup sungold or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 anchovy fillets, well-chopped
to taste, salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh dill
For grits: Bring the mascarpone, milk and chicken broth to a simmer in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the nutmeg, bay leaves, bacon fat and salt; simmer 2 minutes. Whisk in the grits. Bring to a simmer, then turn down heat and whisk constantly for 5 to 7 minutes, until thick and creamy. Stir in 1 Tbsp. chives. Remove from heat; keep warm.
Preheat oven to 250°F. Season Wild Alaska Salmon with salt on the skin side only; allow salmon to rest for 15 minutes. In a nonreactive bowl, mix ¼ cup olive oil with dill, ½ cup chives, lemon zest and juice, capers, tomatoes, red wine vinegar and anchovies to create a salsa. Saute garlic in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until toasted, then add to salsa.
Place salmon fillets on spray-coated baking pan. Cover salmon with dill and rosemary sprigs and bake skin-side up for 20-25 minutes just until opaque throughout. Serve each salmon fillet over ½ cup grits, then top with ⅓ cup salsa.
