Slow Cooked Salmon

CHEF: JUAN JOSE CUEVAS
 

RESTAURANT: 1919 RESTAURANT
 

LOCATION: SAN JUAN , PUERTO RICO
 

In youth, some of us leave home in search of love. Or money. Or adventure. Chef Juan José Cuevas made that outward-bound journey on a different sort of quest. At 20, he left his home in Puerto Rico to seek out a new approach to food—one based on fresh ingredients and locally grown flavor. That journey eventually landed him in New Jersey by way of San Francisco, Spain and New York where he earned a Michelin star both as chef de cuisine at Eighty One and as executive chef at Blue Hill. Returning home six years ago to become executive chef at 1919 Restaurant in San Juan, Cuevas found a changed food culture—one that was starting to embrace the kind of farm-driven cooking that he had showcased during his time as executive chef at the Pluckemin Inn in Bedminster.

“When I worked in New Jersey, I used to work with local farmers,” Cuevas says. “When I moved to Puerto Rico, my first job was to get in touch with the people who are working the land and who were willing to help me develop this restaurant.” His Slow-Cooked Salmon with Light Fricassee of Vegetables and Crushed Basil reflects his use of local ingredients in nontraditional dishes—an approach that has made his restaurant a popular destination for both locals and tourists.

The centerpiece of this dish is salmon that is slowly poached in olive oil until it reaches a state of silky perfection. “Because salmon has such a high fat content, I like to cook the fish at a very low temperature,” Cuevas says. “The idea of cooking it that way is that the fat from the fish stays inside.” In contrast, Cuevas continues, cooking salmon at a high temperature gives the delicate fish a strong aroma and flavor. During poaching, the salmon is completely submerged in olive oil, which is held at a temperature that is roughly equivalent to hot tap water.

The poached salmon is placed atop a light fricassee of vegetables—a description that reflects the practice of sweating and then simmering the vegetables. To begin, a selection of local, seasonal vegetables is lightly sautéed, and then a combination of clear vegetable broth and strained tomato liquid is added to the pan. Once the vegetables are softened, the basil and vegetable-herb purée (pistou) are added.

The choice of vegetables and herbs in the pistou changes with the season. And any vegetable that has been incorporated into the dish is also blended into this purée. A bold, vibrant green, its purpose is threefold: The pistou adds color to the clear broth. It thickens the broth, giving it a rich, creamy consistency. And it adds a big boost of flavor.

The fricassee is finished with a drop of lemon juice and a drizzle of chive oil. It is then ladled into serving bowls, topped with a piece of salmon, and served with a piece of bread alongside to dip into the broth.

Puerto Rico’s farmers were hit hard when Hurricane Maria tore through the island in September 2017. For Cuevas, who sources about 70% of his ingredients from the island, Maria was both a disaster and an opportunity for something new to emerge. The devastation to farmers’ crops created an urgent need to help farmers rebuild quickly—both to provide much-needed food and to jump-start that segment of the economy. It also created an opening for Cuevas to encourage farmers to expand the variety of crops they offer.

“What happened after Maria, it gave a chance for most of them to rebuild and to have a new beginning,” Cuevas says. “Before, most of the farmers were doing more traditional Puerto Rican ingredients. Now they are more open to different kinds.”

Those ingredients include new or increased plantings of fast-growing crops such as kale, arugula, pole beans, purslane and squash blossoms. With an eye toward the future, Cuevas has also begun to incorporate more root vegetables into his menu, as these crops are better able to survive hurricanes.

Working together with farmers to expand their markets, Cuevas is helping Puerto Rico’s farmers gain access to new crops that they can test out. “If they don’t get that seed, I will get that seed for them,” Cuevas says. “And they will be with small plots to see how it works with the weather in Puerto Rico. Then, if that works, they move it to a bigger production.” The end goal is better flavor, a stronger farm economy and greater food security for his island home.

1919 RESTAURANT AT THE CONDADO VANDERBILT HOTEL
1055 Ashford Avenue
San Juan, 00907, Puerto Rico
condadovanderbilt.com