Blueberry Balsamic Salmon and Potato Domino Squares

Blueberry week part 2 is a savory blueberry balsamic reduction that is amazing over salmon.  The one side dish of our meal that didn’t have blueberries was our domino potato squares.  Both of these dishes were a first time experiment and a lot of fun.  Since this week is all about blueberries, you can find the potato recipe here, on page 2  Although I got some blueberry vinegar at Canterberry Farms, I decided to use some cheap balsamic vinegar since I’d be reducing it and thickening it so much.

When I made this, I used the dill as a garnish.  But when we started taking a bite of the dill with the sauce and fish, we both realized that the dill MADE the dish.  SO, in the recipe I’m adding chopped dill to the sauce, that’s how I plan to make it next time.  You can totally make this with frozen blueberries, it will just take a little longer for them to soften.  I’ve mentioned before that salmon can be affordable if you eat small portions with lots of cheap sides, or incorporate it into pastas, curries or other one pot dishes.  If you want to know more about sustainable seafood and what salmon to buy (along with one of my favorite salmon recipes!), check out this post.   A good rule of thumb for cooking salmon is to bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness at 375 degrees.  Depending on whether you prefer your salmon moist or drier, and depending on what a recipe calls for, how long to cook salmon in the oven can vary between 25-45 minutes.  I baked ours for 20 minutes.

Baked Salmon with Blueberry Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

1 salmon fillet the size of a deck of cards
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (cheap stuff’s okay!)
1/2 cup blueberries
2 Tbs chopped fresh dill (1 tsp dried)
2 sprigs dill

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut salmon fillet in half and place in a shallow baking dish.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear and it flakes easily with a fork.

While salmon is cooking, add vinegar and blueberries to a saucepan.  Bring to boil and then turn heat to low.  Stir and smush berries with a wooden spoon.  Stir occaisionally for 5-10 minutes or until it is thick and reduced in volume.

Stir chopped dill into sauce.  When salmon is done, place on plate, pour half of sauce over each half a fillet.  Garnish each with a sprig of dill.

Approximate cost/serving: A bottle of cheap balsamic vinegar is around $3, holding around 3 cups.  Our berries and dill were cheap because they were local and in season.  The salmon was a $2 portion cut in half.  So it comes out to about $1.60 per serving.

Vegetarian/Gluten Free:   I know some vegetarians eat fish, if you don’t, still make the sauce!  It’s vegan and would be great over vegetables or grilled tofu.  Totally gluten free.
More delicious berry recipes 
… and go to page 2 for the potato domino squares!  They’re awesome!

 I saw these potato dominoes when Jaden made them.  The orginal recipe is from Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way.  We have a giant box of potatoes from our CSA, so I’m always on the lookout for new ways to use them.  These are super easy and fast if you have a mandoline to slice them.  I honestly don’t think I’d try making them with out one.  I added fresh thyme  from my windowsill garden for more flavor, and we loved the moist center of each domino with the crispy buttery corners.  It was a fun play on textures, and so easy to make.  I skipped clarifying the butter, and cut the recipe down to two potatoes, which was more than enough for the two of us.

Potato Dominoes
serves 2-4 as side
Ingredients
2 large baking potatoes
2 tablespoons chilled butter
coarse salt (like sea salt or kosher salt)
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400F. Grease a small shallow baking dish with butter.
Cut off the two ends of one potato and reserve them. Trim the 4 sides of the potato to form an even brick. Slice of potato about 1/8 inch thick on a mandoline, keeping the slices in order if you can (just like a line of shingled dominoes). Hold the stack of potato slices in the palm of one hand and use the other to shape them back into a brick, as you would a deck of cards.
Lay the stack on its side in the baking dish and put the reserved potato ends, cut side down at either end to keep the stack aligned. Then, with the palm of your hand, angle slices slightly to resemble a line of dominoes that has tilted over. Adjust the end pieces to keep the stack and shape, and align the slices if necessary. Dot the top and sides with pieces of butter. Sprinkle with salt and thyme to taste. Repeat with the remaining potato.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are browned on the edges and tender in the middle when tested with a skewer. Serve immediately.

Approximate cost/serving: This seriously costs about 75 cents to make, so as a side dish for 4 we’re talking about 19 cents a serving!
Vegetarian/Gluten Free: No adjustments needed.  If you want it vegan, I’m sure it’d be great with olive oil.
More potato goodness