Gail wins the 2009 Master Chef Competition!

For those that requested it, here is the recipe.....

West Coast Salmon Saltimbocca

Sauteed proscuitto and sage wrapped salmon filet served on a grilled rustic french bread slathered with fresh garlic aioli, topped with a Okanagan Sauvignon Blanc/roasted garlic sauce.

Serves 4. Time to prepare, 1.5 hours

Ingredients required...

For the aioli:

4 - Medium fresh garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 - Large egg

1 Tbsp. - freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 Tsp. - salt

1/4 Tsp. - fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup - Extra virgin olive oil

For the West Coast Salmon Saltimbocca:

4 - Whole medium sized heads of garlic

6 Tbsp. - Roasted garlic oil (extra virgin olive oil may be substituted), divided

4 - 6 oz. salmon fillets, approximately 1/2 inch thick

150g - Proscuitto, thinly sliced

6 Tbsp. - Butter, divided

200ml - Sauvignon Blanc

8 - slices of french bread (from a medium sized loaf)

20 - Sage leaves

To prepare:

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

Cut the tops of the whole garlic heads off, exposing the cloves. Place the heads on a baking dish. Drizzle 1 tbsp. of roasted garlic oil over the top of each head, reserving the remaining 2 tbsp. for later. Bake for 1 hour or until the cloves are tender. Once cooked remove the cloves from the skins and set aside.

While the garlic is roasting, prepare the garlic aioli.

Combine the peeled and chopped garlic, egg, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender and puree. Turn the blender down to it's slowest speed. Slowly add the olive oil (in a thin stream) and continue to process until the mixture forms an emulsion and is thick in consistency. Transfer the aioli to a small bowl and refrigerate.

Next...

Turn down oven to 200 F.

Wrap each of the salmon filets in prosciutto, loose ends to the bottom. Place 2 sage leaves on top of each of the fillets and gently attach with tooth picks. Reserve the remaining sage leaves for later.

Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium high heat. Brush remaining 2 tbsp. of roasted garlic oil on both sides of the 8 french bread slices. Fry in batches until golden brown. Once done, place on a baking sheet and put in the oven to keep warm.

Wipe out the Frying pan with a paper towel.

Place 2 tbsp. of butter into the non-stick frying pan, re-heat to medium high heat or until the butter starts to foam. Place the wrapped salmon fillets sage side down. Saute for 2 minutes. Gently turn over and continue to saute for another 30 seconds or until prosciutto is crispy. Once done, remove the toothpicks, place salmon filets on an oven proof platter. Place in the oven to keep warm.

Remove the browned butter from the frying pan and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.

Add the 4 remaining tbsp. of butter to the frying pan and melt until the butter just starts to brown. Add in the Sauvignon Blanc and the roasted garlic cloves. Saute for 1 minute. When done, turn the element to low to keep the sauce warm.

To assemble...

Remove the french bread from the oven and spread 1 tbsp. of aioli on each of the slices. Place the 2 slices of french bread, side by side, on each of 4 plates. Place the proscuitto wrapped salmon across the french bread. Divide the roasted garlic/sauvinon sauce between the 4 plates drizzling the sauce both on top of the salmon and around the sides of the french bread.

Divide the remaining aioli into 4 ramekins, garnish with the remaining sage leaves. Place the ramekin along with a demitasse spoon on each of the plates.

Serve immediately.