Beautiful Borscht Salmon - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Borscht Sauce
1 firm ripe beet (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup shallot, chopped
1/4 cup carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons celery, chopped
1/2 cup napa cabbage, chopped (packed)
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 cup canned broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
1 small bay leaf
4 peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons creme fraiche
To Grill
8 salmon fillets
1/3 cup olive oil
coarse ground garlic salt
fresh cracked black pepper
To Garnish
additional creme fraiche
additional sprigs fresh dill

Preparation

Step 1 is good to do in advance. Place beet in a pot of boiling water and cook uncovered 15 minutes until semi-tender; remove from heat, cover pot, and allow beet to steam another 15 minutes; remove beet from hot water with slotted spoon; once cool, peel and dice beet.
Steps 2 and 3 may also be done in advance. Saute aromatic shallots, carrot, and celery in olive oil until semi-tender; stir in cabbage and garlic; add diced beet, broth, bay leaf, and peppercorns; adjust heat, cover pot and gently simmer for one half hour until vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat; discard bay leaf and peppercorns; add salt, dill, and red wine vinegar; puree sauce in blender or food processor until smooth; stir in creme fraiche; taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Borscht sauce may be served hot or cold; keep heated in saucepan until serving time; or chill sauce in refrigerator.
While borscht sauce is cooking, rub salmon fillets on both sides with olive oil; sprinkle salmon with garlic salt and pepper; grill fillets 4-5 minutes per side until done. To serve, plate each salmon fillet, then top with 1/4 cup (hot or cold) borscht sauce, additional creme fraiche, and sprigs of fresh dill. A beautiful presentation your dinner guests will not soon forget!
This recipe makes just over 2 cups borscht sauce. Canned broth may be used to thin any unused sauce to preferred soup consistency. Stir in broth and reheat, or enjoy a cold summer soup. Very delicious the next day!