CRISPY SALMON SKIN WRAPPED OLYMPIA OYSTERS WITH OLIVE OIL POACHED SALMON PURÉE, HIJIKI SEAWEED PURÉE, PRESERVED GINGER AND FRIED SHISO LEAVES

INGREDIENTS

For the hijiki seaweed purée:
½ cup dried hijiki seaweed, soaked in 1 cup of water
1 tbsp mirin
2 teasp rice wine vinegar
1 cup water
Salt
Freshky ground black pepperFor the olive oil poached
Salmon purée: 
2 salmon pieces (3 oz), skin removed
2 cups olive oil
2 cups fish stock
For the oysters: 
1 cup julienned leeks
white part only
1 tbsp butter
16 Olympia oysters
16 pieces salmon skin (3/4-inch wide,3-inch long)
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the preserved ginger: 
1 1 ½-inch piece ginger, peeled
¼ cup sugar
For the shiso: 
16 green shiso leaves
¼ cup micro purple shiso
Grapeseed oil for frying
Salt

PREPARATION

Hijiki seaweed purée
Drain the hijiki seaweed and place in a high speed blender with the mirin, rice wine vinegar and just enough water to pure it to a thick yet spoon able purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper and warm over medium heat just prior to serving.

Olive oil poached salmon purée
Place the olive oil in a shallow saucepan and gently warm up over a very low flame (the oil should feel just barely warm to the touch, not hot at all – about 120ºF). Place the salmon in the oil, totally submerged, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the salmon has an opaque pink color that is uniform throughout the fish (it may give the appearance of being raw but it is fully cooked). Remove the salmon from the oil and place in a high speed blender with the fish stock and 2 tbsp of the cooking oil. Purée until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Do not heat the sauce, it will coagulate, so it is better to make this sauce just prior to serving.

Olympia oysters
Place the leeks in a sauté pan with the butter and cook over medium heat until tender. Remove from the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Lay the salmon skin pieces flat, skin side down on a work surface. Place a few of the leeks at the upper portion of the salmon skin and lay an oyster over the leeks, tightly rolling the oyster up in the salmon skin. Place the grapseed oil in a preheated nonstick sauté pan and place the oysters in the pan with the side of the oyster that has the open end of the skin down in the pan first. Cook over high heat for 30 to 40 seconds per side, or until the salmon skin begins to turn golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan, blot on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Preserved ginger
Peel the ginger into thin strips with a vegetable peeler. Place the ginger pieces in a small saucepan, cover with water, bring to a simmer and strain. Repeat this process three times. Add the sugar to the ginger, cover with 1 cup of water and bring the ginger to a simmer for 30 minutes. You can store the ginger in the liquid until ready to use.

Shiso
Fry the shiso in the grapeseed oil and transfer to paper towels. Season the leaves with salt while they are still hot.

TO SERVE

Spoon the hijiki seaweed purée in a large oval band on each plate. Spoon a line of the salmon purée down the middle of the oval, extending the edges of the hijiki purée. Sprinkle a few preserved ginger strands in the center of the plate. Place 4 oysters at even points around the hijiki purée and sprinkle with the fried shiso and micro shiso leaves.