Using salted and roasted pecans in the maple pecan salmon ($27) at Nineteen 10 Restaurant & Lounge in Kent makes a difference in creating a delectable crust and elevating the dish’s taste.
“Salt amplifies all the flavors,” says Heather Supanich, executive chef of the restaurant inside the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center. “When you’re using salted nuts and then maple syrup, it gives it a sweet and salty flavor. Then the salmon, it’s got a buttery texture, and the crunchiness of the crust goes good together.”
Supanich starts the dish by searing Atlantic salmon until it’s golden brown. To make the crust, she grinds the pecans until they’re chunky and then adds butter, salt, pepper, maple syrup and a bit of brown sugar. She then packs it on top of the salmon. It gets more dimension from a Dijon maple glaze that’s made by mixing maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and a little brown sugar. She pours some over the salmon and bakes it until a solid crust forms and it’s heated all the way through. When it comes out, it gets topped with the rest of the Dijon maple glaze.
“It’s got sweet from the maple and brown sugar, and then it’s got spiciness from the Dijon,” says Supanich, adding that those take away any possible fishy taste.
It’s served with wild rice that’s made with thyme, parsley and rosemary, and asparagus that’s tossed in oil, salt and pepper and grilled, creating more levels.
“The smokiness helps tie everything together, and it goes good with the maple syrup,” says Supanich, adding that the glaze is delicious mixed into the rice.
With tall tan cushy booths, coral chairs and posh lighting, Nineteen 10, just steps away from Main Street, offers a quiet, relaxed escape where you can nosh on well-composed dishes.
“If you’re a fan of salmon and you like sweet, spicy and salty things, it’s got a whole lot of different flavors in it. They all come together,” Supanich says. “It looks nice on the plate. You get that wow factor — the green, the pink, the brown of the salmon and the herbs in the wild rice.”
Nineteen 10 Restaurant & Lounge, 215 S. Depeyster St., Kent, facebook.com/nineteen10; Next Stop: North Water Brewing Co.,101 Crain Ave., Kent, northwaterbrewing.com
