A Choice Salmon Dinner

A friend described a dinner party at which the host served salmon with a choice of sauces. The idea inspired this menu, which provides the two sauces and a further choice: The salmon can be served hot or cold. While the weather is warm, cold might be the better way, because the fish can be poached in advance.

The accompaniments are easy: rice with mushrooms and broiled tomato halves.

The dessert is coupe Alexandre, a raspberry-topped ice cream dessert that was served years ago at the famous Hollywood restaurant Perino’s. The “Alexandre” whose name it bore was restaurant owner Alex Perino. Perino’s is long gone, but the recipe remains in The Times’ files. The date of its last appearance: 1974.

Menu

Poached Salmon with Two Sauces

Mushroom Rice

Broiled Seasoned Tomato Halves

Coupe Alexandre

California Chardonnay

Coffee

STAPLES

White wine

Salt

Peppercorns

Onions

Black and white pepper

Mayonnaise

Sour cream

1 lemon

Butter

Flour

Dijon mustard

Long-grain rice

Chicken stock

Kirsch

SHOPPING LIST

4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks

1 large cucumber

Green onions

1 (1-pint) carton half and half

1 bunch fresh dill

1 (6-ounce) carton sliced mushrooms

1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries

1 (1/2 pint) carton whipping cream

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 pint raspberry sherbet

4 almond macaroons

GAME PLAN

Morning of Dinner: Prepare Cucumber-Lemon Sauce and refrigerate. Prepare Mustard-Dill Sauce and refrigerate. Poach salmon steaks, if serving cold. Prepare raspberry sauce for Coupe Alexandre.

One Hour Before Dinner: Cook rice and keep warm.

30 Minutes Before Dinner: Poach salmon, if serving hot. Reheat Mustard-Dill Sauce or bring to room temperature. Broil tomato halves.

After Main Course: Make coffee. Whip cream and assemble Coupe Alexandre.

POACHED SALMON

1 quart water

1/2 cup white wine

1 small onion, quartered and sliced lengthwise

1 teaspoon salt

10 peppercorns

4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks

Cucumber-Lemon or Mustard-Dill Sauce

Combine water, wine, onion, salt and peppercorns in large skillet. Bring to boil. Add salmon steaks and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until salmon flakes easily when tested with fork, about 10 minutes. Remove steaks and drain. Serve with Lemon-Cucumber or Mustard-Dill Sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving, without sauce, contains about:

221 calories; 652 mg sodium; 75 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 27 grams protein; 0.12 gram fiber.

CUCUMBER-LEMON SAUCE

1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded

Salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced onion

This sauce is thick, almost like tartar sauce.

Shred cucumber and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain, squeezing to remove excess liquid.

Place cucumber in bowl. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon peel, lemon juice and onion and stir to blend. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Makes 1 cup.

Each 1-tablespoon serving contains about:

25 calories; 65 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.11 gram fiber.

MUSTARD-DILL SAUCE

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup half and half

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh dill weed

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash white pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add onion and cook just until softened. Stir in flour, then half and half, mustard, dill, salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture thickens. Stir in lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 1 cup.

Each 1-tablespoon serving contains about:

37 calories; 117 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.01 gram fiber.

MUSHROOM RICE

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup long-grain rice

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chicken stock

Cook mushrooms in butter in large heavy saucepan until tender and any liquid is absorbed. Add rice, salt and chicken stock and stir. Bring to boil, cover tightly and cook over very low heat until rice is tender and stock absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

215 calories; 1,009 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.20 gram fiber.

COUPE ALEXANDRE

1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries

1 1/2 tablespoons kirsch

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/2 pint vanilla ice cream

1/2 pint raspberry sherbet

4 almond macaroons, crushed

Thaw raspberries, stir in kirsch and refrigerate.

Just before serving, whip cream. In individual dessert bowls or footed dessert glasses, place scoops of vanilla ice cream and raspberry sherbet side by side. Spoon some of raspberry mixture in center. Top with whipped cream, then sprinkle with macaroon crumbs. Serve remaining raspberries in sauce boat.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

340 calories; 65 mg sodium; 66 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 2.53 grams fiber.