Someone's in the Kitchen with a Master Chef making José Caramelized Salmon with Cauliflower Risotto

Master Chef Jose Gutierrez of River Oaks, Memphis TN USA

Jose with Libby and Dabney Coors at a Memphis Gala at the Dixon Gallery. A wonderful French dinner at the opening of the Foraine exhibition, attended by guests from Paris and the French Consul General.
José Caramelized Salmon with Cauliflower Risotto

This meal is a staff and customer favorite! Serves 6
Ingredients
6 six-ounce salmon filets
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
30 medium, evenly cut asparagus
1 head of cauliflower
1 ½ cups of cream
2 cups shredded mozzarella
½ cup Balsamic vinegar
Preparation
1. Cook the asparagus in salted, boiling water until it is al dente. Rinse with cool water.
2. Dice cauliflower, place cream in medium pan, add cauliflower and cook until tender. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a small pot, reduce balsamic vinegar by half. Set aside.
4. Using a filet knife, make a half slit in the center of the salmon.
5. Season salmon with salt on both sides. Mix sugar with paprika and sprinkle on top of salmon.
6. Heat oven to 350ºF.
7. Heat olive oil in medium oven-proof sauté pan and cook the salmon on top until it is golden brown.
8. Place in the oven and cook 10-12 minutes.
To Serve
Place a spoon of warm cauliflower risotto in the middle of the plate and top with a filet of salmon. Place asparagus in the middle of the salmon in the slit you created earlier. Trim asparagus if necessary. Drizzle a thin line of reduced balsamic vinegar around the cauliflower.

Jose has been a dear friend of mine for well over 25 years. He arrived in the US as a young chef trained by Paul Bocuse, arguably one of the most famous French chefs of the 20th century and one of the fathers of nouvelle French cuisine. Jose became one of the elite group of Master Chefs at an early age and last year was named Master Chef of the Year for North America, Canada, and Mexico. He is a proud citizen of the USA and a true Southerner at heart, often joking that he's a red neck chef and offering a taste of his "supposed stash of shine."

Jose has taught me so much about food - the simplicity, as well as some more advanced techniques of preparation. This is one of my favorite dishes and I hope you enjoy it as well. When in Memphis, join him for lunch or dinner at River Oaks.