Rosé-Poached Salmon, Grilled Vegetable and Aïoli

Le Grand Aïoli, Provence’s grand, traditional Christmas dish, is an ideal match for rosé. By Lannice Snyman.

France is no slouch when it comes to partying, and “the harvest” is responsible for much celebration in villages throughout Provence. Food, friends and a little of what you fancy in the vinous line get the party started – and keep it going, if my travels through that small corner of the world are anything to go by.

Rosé-Poached Salmon with Aïoli

 

For Le Grand Aïoli, one of Provence’s signature dishes, friends and neighbours contribute to the spread: farmers bring vegetables; bakers proffer crusty, ovenhot bread; fishermen bring – well, you get the picture. At the end you have a splendiferous help-yourself platter of poached fish (usually salt cod) and piles of simply cooked vegetables. A perfect match for rosé, the region’s signature wine.

The star of the menu is, of course, aïoli, that gorgeous, garlicky mayonnaise magicked up by pounding copious amounts of garlic and salt with a pestle and mortar, then whisking in some egg yolks and oil. Food processors have taken the toil (as well as some of the magic) out of the time-honoured task.

Traditionalists like their garlic raw; I prefer it roasted to gentle-out the flavour. Place a head in a square of foil, lop off the tips of the cloves with a sharp knife, drizzle in a little olive oil, parcel it up, and bake in a hot oven for about 50 minutes. Then squeeze out the cloves to use in aïoli, vinaigrette – or in any dish that calls for garlic. Aïoli is also a must-have sauce for spreading on croûtons to float in bouillabaisse, a fish stew that is another famous Provençal creation.

Rosé-Poached Salmon,
Grilled Vegetables and Aïoli
Serves 4

ROSÉ-POACHED SALMON
600g filleted Norwegian or Scottish salmon, skin on
½ cup rosé wine
½ cup water
1 lemon, finely sliced
3 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
Fennel sprigs
Salt and milled black pepper

Rinse the salmon. Pour the wine and water into a wide saucepan and add the lemon slices, bay leaves,peppercorns and fennel. Bring to a simmer, then add the fish and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and simmer gently for about five minutes. The salmon should not be cooked all the way through. Lift the fish from the stock and set aside. Freeze the stock for another time.

VEGETABLES
500g baby vegetables (corn, asparagus, courgettes,
beans)
Olive oil
Salt and milled black pepper

Leave the vegetables whole or cut into thinner strips if they’re on the chubby side. Toss into a roasting dish. Sprinkle generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss everything together. Slide under the oven griller and cook for about 10 minutes until tender and gently charred.

AÏOLI
2 egg yolks
3 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ t salt
2 T lemon juice
2 t Dijon mustard
1 cup vegetable or olive oil

Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Whisk the egg yolks, garlic and salt in a food processor until thick and pale. With the machine running, add the lemon juice and mustard, followed by the oil in a thin stream, to form an emulsion. Pour into a bowl.

TO SERVE
Arrange the vegetables on a large platter with the salmon on top. Serve the aïoli separately.