Hello friends and retro food lovers! Today’s recipe, Salmon Croustade, is inspired by this picture, which I found in Vogue Entertaining in February/March 1990. It looks absolutely delicious! That big chunk of bread to soak up that butter-laden sauce, the leeks and mushrooms surely sauteed to perfection in some garlic…my mouth was watering as I looked for the recipe, which didn’t exist. 

Salmon Croustade

It’s not like I was expecting a website link or a QR code but there was no recipe on the page and no indication of where one could be found.  I turned the page in case it was one of those ads that span a few pages.  Nothing.  Well, not nothing.  Because a completely blank page in a magazine would be peculiar, but nothing concerning a recipe for a Croustade of Salmon.  Well, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. So, if the recipe didn’t exist, someone had to invent it.  And so I did!  

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Unlike the 1990 recipe, I knew I wanted to use fresh salmon. So, what remained to be figured out was how to:

  • Cook the salmon
  • Make the croustade
  • Make the sauce
  • Cook the vegetables and,
  • Combine them all to make a cohesive whole

Simple, right?

Before we get to the recipe, does anyone else think it strange that fish and mushrooms work so well together?  One is fundamentally of the sea, and the other quintessentially of the earth.  And yet….a marriage made in heaven.  Opposites do attract!  (If you want another recipe containing Fish and Mushrooms, I recommend Mia Farrow’s Fish with Ginger Sauce).  

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Salmon Croustades – The Recipe

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Salmon Croustades

Salmon Croustades4
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A modern recipe inspired by a vintage advertisement.

Ingredients

Scale

For the garlic bread croustade:

  • One loaf French bread
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the poached salmon:

  • 4 salmon fillets
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or mushroom stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the leek and mushroom sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the garlic bread croustade:
    • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
    • Slice the French bread into 1-inch thick rounds.
    • Combine butter, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
    • Spread the butter mixture on one side of each bread round.
    • Place the bread rounds on a baking sheet, buttered side up.
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
  2. Poach the salmon:
    • In a large skillet, combine white wine, stock, bay leaf, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
    • Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat.
    • Gently place the salmon fillets into the simmering liquid.
    • Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily.
    • Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside.
  3. Make the leek and mushroom sauce:
    • In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
    • Add the leek and mushrooms, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
    • Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
    • Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    • Cook for a few minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
  4. Assemble the dish:
    • Place a garlic bread croustade on each plate.
    • Top with a poached salmon fillet.
    • Spoon the leek and mushroom sauce over the salmon.
    • Serve immediately.

Now, if you wanted to simplify this, you could use a bought garlic bread for the croustade. In that case, heat the garlic bread according to the packet instructions, and once it is ready, pile on the salmon and the sauce.  You could also use canned salmon as per the OG recipe.  

I thoroughly enjoyed creating this recipe, and I hope I have done the original justice. I would LOVE to know how much my version differs from the original, besides using fresh rather than canned salmon.  So, if anyone out there has an original 1990 recipe for Croustades of Salmon with Leek and Mushroom, please let me know!

Have a great week!

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