A Summery Salmon Salad

Chef Dan Silverman, master of the New York power lunch, is the latest to take our Chef on a Shoestring challenge: a delicious meal for four for $40. The result is this lively summer menu of slow-roasted salmon salad with sweet carrots on the side and double chocolate cookies for dessert.

Chef Silverman's restaurant, Lever House, is one of New York's hottest power lunch spots, but he says his secret ingredient is simplicity.

"The food at Lever House is seasonal, well-sourced, fresh and delicious," Chef Silverman says in his first cookbook. "It isn't complicated or contrived. Because what we do is so seemingly simple, we place a great deal of emphasis on quality, technique and timing."

FOOD FACTS
Tapenade: This is a thick paste typically made with olives and served as a condiment or dip. Chef Silverman makes his tapenade with walnuts and roasted garlic.

Wax Bean: A pale yellow variety of a green bean.

Butter Lettuce: Boston lettuce and bibb lettuce are the best-known varieties of butter lettuce. Butterhead lettuces have soft leaves and small, loosely-formed heads. The flavor tends to be sweet. Because the leaves are quite tender, they require gentle washing and handling.

Chervil: A mild-flavored member of the parsley family, this aromatic herb has curly, dark-green leaves.

Aleppo Pepper: Aleppo pepper is one of the most versatile spices in the Lever House kitchen; once you start using it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it. You will taste it often in our recipes. With its high oil content, dried crushed Aleppo pepper has moderate heat that doesn't overpower its fruity flavor. The dark red and robust chili pepper is named for the Aleppo region of Syria.

RECIPES
WALNUT AND GARLIC TAPENADE
(Makes about 1 ½ cups.)
Ingredients:
5 cloves Roasted Garlic Tapenade (recipe follows)
1 cup walnut pieces
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2/3 cup canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh chervil or flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram or oregano leaves

Method:
1. Combine the roasted garlic, walnuts, and vinegar in a food processor and pulse several times to make a coarse paste. Alternatively, the tapenade can be made by hand in a large mortar and pestle, with some elbow grease.

2. Slowly drizzle in the oil and pulse a few more times to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the chervil and marjoram by hand. The walnut and garlic tapenade may be served immediately or covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Bring the tapenade to room temperature before serving with bread.

ROASTED GARLIC CONFIT
Ingredients:
1 cup peeled garlic cloves
Canola oil, to cover the garlic (about 2 cups)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 325F.

2. Put the garlic cloves in a single layer in a small baking pan. Pour in enough oil to cover the garlic completely. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the cloves are soft and sort of confit. If they're not quite done after 30 minutes, continue to cook, checking at five-minute intervals, until the garlic is creamy and completely tender. Be sure that the garlic does not brown or, worse, burn. Cool the roasted garlic in the oil before straining.

SLOW-ROASTED SALMON SALAD WITH LEMON CREAM DRESSING
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced in 1/8-inch-thick half moons
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus additional to taste
¼ pound green beans, stems trimmed
¼ pound yellow wax beans, stems trimmed
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each), skin removed
3 tablespoons canola oil
Freshly-ground black pepper
2 small heads of butter lettuce, such as Boston or bibb, hand torn
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chervil
Lemon Cream Dressing (recipe follows)

Method:
1. Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with one tablespoon of salt, making sure that all the pieces are salted. Put the colander in the sink or over a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes to drain. The salt will draw out the moisture. The cucumbers should be slightly limp but still crisp. Taste them and if they are too salty, rinse them under cool water and drain well. Reserve in the refrigerator.

2. To blanch the green beans and the wax beans, bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Boil the beans for only 2 minutes (do this in batches to keep the water at a rolling boil if necessary). Drain the beans and plunge in an ice bath to "shock" them; that is, to stop the cooking process and cool them down quickly. This procedure also sets the vibrant color of the green beans. Drain the blanched beans and reserve in the refrigerator.

3. Preheat the oven to 250F.

4. Fill a small baking pan with hot water and put it on the bottom rack of the oven; this will create a moist environment for cooking the salmon.

5. Lightly brush the salmon fillets on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Line a large baking pan with foil and brush it with the remaining tablespoon of oil to prevent sticking. Lay the salmon fillets in the prepared pan. The fillets should not touch each other; air should circulate as the fish cooks. Bake the salmon for 10 minutes until medium-rare; the fish will still be pink and may look raw to the naked eye, but will be cooked inside. The texture definitely changes and firms up a bit; you should be able to cut the salmon with a spoon.

6. To serve, in large bowl combine the cucumbers, blanched beans, lettuce, and chopped chives, parsley, tarragon, and chervil; season lightly with salt and pepper. Dress the salad with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the dressing and toss the ingredients gently using your hands to combine. Divide the salad among 4 plates, lay a warm salmon fillet on top of each portion, and garnish with chopped chives. Serve the remaining lemon cream on the side.

LEMON CREAM DRESSING
(makes about ½ cup)
Ingredients:
Juice of ½ lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream

Method:
Squeeze the lemon juice into a stainless-steel bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly and gently whisk in the heavy cream or it will become grainy. Chill before serving.

Note: This lemon cream may be made a few hours in advance and is also a flavorful dip for blanched vegetables.

CARROTS GLAZED WITH GINGER AND ORANGE
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ pounds baby carrots, peeled, ½ inch of green top left on, halved lengthwise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (see Ingredient Note) or cayenne
1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
4 large fresh mint leaves, chiffonade

Method:
1. In a sauté pan large enough to hold the carrots in one layer, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots and season lightly with salt, pepper, and Aleppo, tossing well to combine. Reduce the heat slightly and sauté the carrots for 3 to 4 minutes. If the carrots are very fresh, the salt will draw out a little of their moisture.

2. Stir in the grated ginger and add a third of the orange juice. Continue to cook the carrots, stirring from time to time. As the o.j. evaporates and cooks down, add a bit more in increments. Repeat until the carrots are tender and the juice has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 10 to 12 minutes (see Note). Taste the carrots; they should be just cooked through and not mushy.

3. Just before serving, drizzle the lime juice over the carrots to balance out the sweetness of the o.j. Sprinkle the mint ribbons on top to garnish and serve.
Note: If the carrots are cooked before the o.j. has reduced to glaze, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon, quickly reduce the liquid to glaze, and then add the carrots back to the pan. If the carrots are not fully cooked by the time all the o.j. has reduced into a glaze, add small amounts of water to the pan and continue cooking until they are.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
(Makes 3 ½ dozen)

Ingredients:
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
12 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, such as Valrhona or Scharffen Berger, chopped
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 teaspoon strongly brewed coffee or coffee extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
10 ounces good-quality chopped milk chocolate or chocolate chips
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Method:
1. To create a double boiler, bring a pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Combine the butter and the unsweetened and bitter-sweet chocolates in a metal or glass heat-resistant bowl and set over the simmering water, without letting the bottom touch. Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

2. Put the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment, or use a hand-held electric beater. Beat on medium speed until fluffy and light.

3. Add the vanilla and coffee. Pour in the melted chocolate and continue to whip until well combined.

4. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt into the batter. Fold in the chips and nuts.

5. Transfer the batter into a clean bowl. It will be too sticky to form into cookies now, but let it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes and it will become easier to handle.

6. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Scoop the dough by the heaping tablespoon and put on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake until the cookies are just set but still moist, about 10 minutes.

8. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes and serve warm.