Is there anything that doesn’t go well with fries? My daughter doesn’t think so. She could eat fries with every meal. As a result, I do like making different meals that incorporate them, which is why I do love the “and frites” types of dishes you find in French and Belgian cuisine. For this dish, I roast the salmon and create a butter based lemon and caper sauce for it. A simple aioli is made for the frites using store bought mayonnaise and lemon.
Ingredients
4 salmon filets
Herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp capers
½ cup white wine
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp lemon juice, divided
Zest of lemon
4 russet potatoes, or similar variety
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup parsley, chopped
Olive oil
To make the salmon:
Brush the filets with olive oil on all sides, and season generously with salt, pepper, and Herbs de Provence. Cover a baking sheet with nonstick foil, and spray it with cooking spray. Space the salmon filets on the sheet, and place them in the oven on high broil for 8-10 minutes, until done.
To make the frites:
Cut the potatoes into frites (french fries), either using a fry cutter or by hand. If cutting by hand, cut a ¼ inch piece off of the potato so it will rest flat on the cutting board and then cut the potato ¼ inch pieces. Cut each piece into ¼ inch strips.
Cut the potatoes into frites (french fries), either using a fry cutter or by hand. If cutting by hand, cut a ¼ inch piece off of the potato so it will rest flat on the cutting board and then cut the potato ¼ inch pieces. Cut each piece into ¼ inch strips.
The frites can be cooked either by air frying or deep frying in vegetable oil. To air fry, toss the frites in a bowl with salt and a tablespoon of olive oil, coating the frites as evenly as possible.
Lay the frites in a single layer in the air fryer basket/try without touching. Air fry at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, flipping the frites halfway through. Cook the frites in batches. To fry in oil on the stovetop, add about 2 cups of vegetable oil to a pot over medium heat (about 325 degrees Fahrenheit). Once ready, for best texture you want to double fry the frites. First, fry the frites in batches for about 5 minutes until blanched but not fully golden. Remove each batch and drain on paper towels and cool to room temperature. Then, fry again Im batches for about 2-3 minutes until golden. Drain each batch on paper towels again and season with salt.
To make the lemon aioli:
In a bowl, combine the ½ cup of mayonnaise with 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Whisk until lemon juice is fully incorporated and sauce becomes smooth.
In a bowl, combine the ½ cup of mayonnaise with 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Whisk until lemon juice is fully incorporated and sauce becomes smooth.
To make the lemon caper butter:
Melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the capers and lemon zest to the pan and allow them to fry for about 1 minute. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan and stir. Turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the remaining three tablespoons of butter into the sauce one tablespoon at a time. Add each tablespoon and stir it into the sauce (off of the heat) until it completely melts. Do this with each of the three remaining tablespoons of butter. The sauce is then complete.
Melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the capers and lemon zest to the pan and allow them to fry for about 1 minute. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan and stir. Turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the remaining three tablespoons of butter into the sauce one tablespoon at a time. Add each tablespoon and stir it into the sauce (off of the heat) until it completely melts. Do this with each of the three remaining tablespoons of butter. The sauce is then complete.
To serve, place a salmon filet on a place and spoon some of the butter sauce over the salmon. Add a pile of frites to the plate beside the salmon and garnish everything with some of the chopped parsley. Serve a small dish with a portion of the lemon aioli with the meal for dipping the frites. You can serve a portion of dressed salad greens with the meal as well.