Salmon With Roasted Shiitakes and Mushroom Sauce

Sharon123's Note:

The mushrooms and syrup give this dish an intense flavor! Adapted from Food&Wine magazine. The recipe for Mushroom Syrup is posted separately. To use the syrup in this recipe, use 1/4 cup.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 35 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb shiitake mushroom , small, stems reserved (for syrup)
• 16 medium garlic cloves
• ½-1 jalapeno , sliced 1-inch thick (more or less to taste)
• salt
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
• 24 ounces salmon fillets , with skin on
• fresh ground pepper
• lemon wedge , for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F Heat a 12" cast-iron skillet until really hot. Add the olive oil, shiitake mushroom caps, garlic and jalapeño slices and stir well. Season with salt. Move the skillet to the oven and roast the shiitake caps, stirring a couple times, for about 20 minutes, or until richly browned and crisp.
2. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the grapeseed oil(or olive oil). Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper; add them to the skillet, skin side down. Cook the salmon over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the skin is browned and very crisp, about 12 minutes more. Turn and cook the salmon for 2 minutes on the other side, until barely cooked through.
3. Move the salmon fillets to plates, skin side up. Carefully lift the skin off the salmon and lean it against the fillet. Spoon the roasted shiitake caps on the salmon. Drizzle the plates with mushroom syrup and serve with the lemon wedges. Enjoy!
4. To make ahead:.
5. The Mushroom Syrup can be refrigerated overnight. Melt it in a microwave oven before serving.