Fried salmon on tagliatelle

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 750 g salmon fillet(s), fresh or frozen
• 500 g mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 250 g asparagus, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1 medium-sized onion(s), finely diced
• 500 g tagliatelle (e.g. Mafaldine)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• some cognac
• 250 g cream
• salt and pepper
• Sugar
• Dill (frozen), chopped
• olive oil
• possibly sauce thickener as required
• possibly lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

with tomato dill – asparagus – mushroom sauce

Blanch the diced asparagus in boiling salt and sugar water, then rinse with cold water. In a medium-sized saucepan, sauté the finely diced onions and mushrooms in heated olive oil. After a while, add the asparagus and sauté as well. Season with salt, pepper, and about 1 teaspoon of dill. Deglaze with a good splash of cognac and add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Allow the alcohol to evaporate well. Add the beef stock (you can also use fish stock, but I find it tastes too fishy). Bring back to a boil and reduce slightly. If the beef stock is salted, be careful with the salt beforehand; it’s better to add salt later. When the sauce has reduced slightly, add the cream and tomato paste. The sauce will now take on a light pink color, which goes well with the salmon. Allow the sauce to simmer gently. Season to taste with dill, salt, pepper, sugar, and perhaps a squeeze of lemon juice. If the sauce is too thin for you, you can add a little light sauce thickener. Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle in plenty of water according to the package instructions. Rinse the salmon in very cold water, pat dry, and cut into nice-sized pieces. Heat a pan and fry the salmon in heated olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. I also add a good squeeze of lemon. Fry the salmon pieces for about 2-5 minutes on each side, depending on their size and thickness. If you like, you can sprinkle some dill over the salmon shortly before the end of the cooking time and fry it briefly. Arrange the pasta on a flat plate, add the sauce, and drape the salmon on top. Garnish with some dill, if desired. Tip: You can also use white wine instead of cognac. However, the sauce will be much more acidic and lose its slightly bitter-sweet character.