Salmon in Basil Cream

No matter what the season, I find good salmon is available. This from the food market in K-town on 32nd Street at under four dollars for a thick, intensely colored fillet. You get the best fish at Asian markets; you can't pass junk off onto these people the same way the big chains do. I brought home some salmon from D'Ag's once, and had to throw it into the trash, it smelled so bad. Never be shy about tearing open that plastic to give it a sniff test.

After seasoning with coarse salt, ground coriander and pepper, I sauteed it in a tablespoon of olive oil--EV of course--and let it rest while I did the sauce. Understand the fish must be very rare when you take it from the pan. It continues to cook to perfection. Then I poured off the oil, added a few ounces of white wine, some pesto, and a smidge of hot sweet mustard. Reduce that, swirl in some rich sour cream, off the heat lest it break the cream. A few fresh basil leaves added some poignancy to the flavors, and a few grinds of pepper. There was some sour cream left in the container, which I combined with a little more of the mustard, adding it to the plate. I like the two sauces on the plate. The mustard cream went surprisingly well.