Rhubarb, Basil, Carrot & Ginger Sauce with Salmon

Rhubarb is one of the foods I discovered from working at Norman’s. During my first year, I asked customers at check out how they were planning on using their rhubarb, and received the same response every single time: some type of dessert and always paired with strawberries. So I made a strawberry rhubarb crumble, and I understood why that was everyone’s response. It was so delicious! (let me know if you’d like that recipe) 

This year I wanted to switch it up and see if rhubarb could work in a savory dish. Since I was using rhubarb without its classic partner in crime, I had to think of something else that could balance out its tanginess. Carrots immediately came to mind–they can be very sweet, especially when cooked, but still savory. Inspired by the cooked down saucy consistency of the crumble, I decided to make a carrot, rhubarb, ginger, basil sauce for a salmon dish. Chicken would also work, but I think the fattiness of the salmon pairs well with the zingyness of the sauce. To tie everything together and bring some tartness, color and heartiness to the plate I added sautéed rainbow swiss chard as the base.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 fillets of salmon (about 16 ounces)
• 1 cup or 120 g of 1/2 inch chopped rhubarb (about 1-2 stalks) 
• 1/2 cup or 60 g of 1/4 inch chopped carrots 
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1/4 cup or 10 g of basil
• 1/4 cup water
• a pinch of salt
• 500 g or 2 bunches of swiss chard
• 1/2 diced yellow onion
• olive oil

Directions

1. Salmon
   1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven preheats you can make the sauce.
   2. Place salmon on aluminum foil in a baking pan and lightly coat with olive oil. Once preheated bake salmon for 15-25 minutes depending on thickness. Check the center of the thickest part of a fillet to see if it’s cooked through. 
2. Sauce
   1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat and add the chopped carrots, stirring occasionally. After 5-10 minutes add the chopped rhubarb. 
   2. Once the rhubarb has softened, about 5 minutes, puree the carrots, rhubarb, ginger, basil, water and a pinch of salt in a blender. Add more water if needed to achieve the preferred consistency. 
3. Swiss Chard
   1. In the same pot, drizzle more oil if needed, and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes until softened. Mix in the swiss chard so it’s coated in the oil. Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the stems are tender. 
4. Plate the swiss chard, onions, and salmon and pour over the sauce.