Question: The Old Bath House in Pacific Grove, Calif., is a very popular restaurant. One of their specialties is grilled salmon with lemon sauce. It is delicious without being too heavy. Could you get the recipe?
- Becky Collier, Fresno, Calif.
Answer: Amour flourishes year round at the Old Bath House Restaurant in Pacific Grove, Calif., which is located just outside Carmel. The restaurant, romantically situated in Lovers Point Park on the Monterey Peninsula, entertains diners with a breathtaking view of the bay and harbor lights, and has provided the perfect setting for thousands of marriage proposals. Most of the couples marry in the park, hold the reception in the restaurant and return each year for an anniversary celebration!
Pacific Grove, a small seaside community often called "the last hometown," was started as a retreat in the 1870s for religious activity and spiritual growth by Methodists in the area. The original bathhouse, a frame shack on "Lovers of Jesus Point" consisted of a huge tank into which saltwater was pumped to provide tub baths for visitors to the retreat. Expanded in 1882 to house 22 dressing rooms and eight private saltwater baths, the structure evolved into what is now a fine-dining "Bathhouse."
Two perennial favorites at the Old Bath House are Valentine's Day and the Mesquite Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce. Grilling over mesquite wood imparts a distinctive taste to the salmon, while the sauce is light and luscious with lemon and dill.
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RECIPE
MESQUITE GRILLED SALMON WITH LEMON DILL SAUCE
1/2 cup Chardonnay wine or white grape juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped shallots
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/8 cup fish stock or clam juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup cream
1/4 pound butter, diced
4 (8-ounce) salmon filets
1 bag charcoal
1 bag mesquite wood
1/4 cup fresh dill sprigs (or 1/2 teaspoon dry dill)
In heavy saucepan, combine wine or juice, shallots, vinegar, fish stock and lemon juice. Reduce over medium high flame until almost gone. Add cream and reduce by half. Remove sauce from heat and stir in butter. Keep warm until ready for use.
Grill salmon over white hot coals of 1/2 charcoal and 1/2 mesquite wood, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Grill marks should appear on one side before turning. Turn and grill 7 to 10 minutes or until done.
Stir dill into sauce just before topping salmon and serving. Makes 4 servings.