Erica Medina, Chef de Cuisine at The Country Club of Virginia (Richmond, Va.) and C+RC 40 Under 40 alum, created her Wild Alaskan Coho Salmon recipe around the bright, natural flavor and color of the fish. By taking a lighter approach to the recipe, Medina honored the dish by creating flavors to make the salmon tase more like itself.
She understands the importance of giving members a dish that feels familiar, but wanting to experience something different than a traditional meal they could make at home. She finds that balance and more in the recipe below.
Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): What was the inspiration behind this dish?
Erica Medina (EM): The inspiration came from the flavors of the Mediterranean coast, as well as the seasonal ingredients available in Virginia. However, I wanted to interpret the culture through a lighter, more refined lens. Wild Alaskan Coho salmon has such a beautiful natural flavor and color that I wanted to build a dish around it rather than overwhelm it. The fregola and chickpeas give the plate a rustic, comforting foundation, while the nage and rouille bring in those vibrant coastal flavors.
C+RC: How would you describe the flavors and presentation?
EM: The dish is savory, bright and gently smoky, with a lot of warmth and depth without feeling heavy. The smoked paprika nage brings richness and subtle spice, the blistered tomatoes add acidity and sweetness, and the saffron rouille gives it a creamy, aromatic and luxurious finish. Pine nuts add texture and a soft nuttiness. Visually, I wanted the plate to feel colorful and organic—the coral color of the salmon against the golden saffron and paprika tones, with the tomatoes bringing little bursts of brightness.
C+RC: How are you honoring the integrity of the dish while giving it a twist? What’s the importance of keeping recipes fresh and new?
EM: For me, honoring a dish starts with respecting the ingredients. With a fish like wild Coho salmon, the goal is to create flavors around it that make the salmon taste even more like itself. The components are rooted in recognizable Mediterranean flavors, but the presentation, textures and balance make it feel more contemporary.
Keeping food fresh and evolving is incredibly important to me. Guests still want flavors that feel familiar and comforting, but they also want to experience something they may not create at home. I like finding that space between familiarity and surprise—giving someone enough recognition to feel connected to a dish, while still offering them a new experience.
C+RC: What makes this a successful dish? What about it makes you most proud?
EM: A successful dish, to me, has balance, feelings, a story, the flavors are melodic, ingredients are celebrated, and the presentation becomes art. Every component should have a reason for being on the plate, and you should be able to enjoy the entire dish without one flavor becoming exhausting. This one has richness, acidity, smoke, sweetness, texture and freshness all working together.
I’m most proud of what this dish feels like, elevated, passionate and creative. I almost never know how I’m going to plate or present a dish until I have all of the ingredients in front of me. Once this one made it to the plate, it immediately felt like the perfect representation of my passion + love for Culinary Arts.
C+RC: What was member response like?
EM: The member response was immensely positive. I think guests responded especially well to the balance between something recognizable and something a little unexpected. Salmon is familiar and comforting, but pairing it with fregola, saffron rouille and a smoked paprika nage, as well as contemporary plating gave members an opportunity to experience it differently. That is always one of my favorite reactions to see, when a guest recognizes the foundation of a dish but discovers a new flavor combination, and piece of art along the way.
