As an Italian, we'd use fennel leaf, basil and parsley on fish, especially salmon.

Those same herb flavors will complement the eggplant.

Joe

Oh...fennel...that's a great suggestion Joe!! I was afraid I wasn't going to make my choices 'jell'.

Maureen:

Another idea just came to me...

Fennel and gingerroot would be great with both. A pinch of garlic for the salmon and a whole lot of garlic with the eggplant. Kinda leans toward the east.

Joe

Maureen, here's a particular favorite of mine.
I've made a few times now for our Christmas Eve dinner. This recipe works very well to do all the prep work ahead of time and just put it in the oven to bake. The recipe calls for wrapping 4 individual pieces of salmon in puff pastry, but for a larger group, I just wrap one larger salmon filet in the puff pastry, then bake it a bit longer. I've also made it with filo dough (layer with melted butter 3-4 sheets) instead of puff pastry and it is delicious.

I think fresh parsley would work well in this dish instead of the dill and would compliment the eggplant, but too many additional flavors would not really help it IMHO.

A

Kulebiaka (or Coulibiac)
Salmon in Pastry
(this is from Bon Appetit)

Salmon, Rice, Pastry
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup minced leek (white and pale green parts only)
6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, chopped
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17 1/4-ounce package), thawed
4 6-ounce (4x2 1/2-inch) skinless salmon fillet
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Dill Sauce
2/3 cup bottled clam juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups cre fraîche or whipping cream
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Preparation for salmon, rice, pastry:
Bring medium saucepan of salted water to boil. Add rice; boil uncovered until just tender, about 18 minutes. Drain.
Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add leek; sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms. Cover skillet; cook until mushrooms release their juices, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Uncover skillet. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add rice. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely.

Butter large baking sheet. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Divide rice mixture among centers of squares, mounding in oval shape with ends toward 2 corners of pastry. Set salmon atop rice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring pastry corners up around salmon (pastry will not enclose salmon completely.) Roll out remaining pastry sheet on floured surface to 13-inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Lay 1 square atop each salmon fillet, tucking corners under bottom pastry to enclose salmon completely. Pinch edges together to seal, brushing with egg mixture if necessary to adhere. Arrange salmon packages, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. Cover and chill 30 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush top of pastry with egg mixture. Bake until golden and thermometer inserted into fish registers 145°F, about 30 minutes.

For dill sauce:
Combine clam juice and wine in heavy small nonaluminum saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 9 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Whisk in creème fraîche. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in dill. Season with salt and pepper.

If crème fraîche is unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm draft-free area until slightly thickened (24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room). Refrigerate until ready to use.

Transfer salmon packages to plates. Spoon Dill Sauce around and serve.

Thank you Ann. (I can see you popping it into that gorgeous yellow stove.)

I think I'll keep your suggestion for later since I need to cook the salmon I've already thawed. This would be a nice presentation with everyone getting his/her own packet. With this family dinner, it's not gonna be that kind of meal. In fact , I just want to test out this kind of dish - esp with vegetarian dd.

Hey Maureen,
The yellow stove's still going strong. For future reference... I never do the single packets. It works just great to do one crust of either puff pastry or filo dough wrapping the whole salmon. It still looks beautiful and is lots easier!

Joe, thank you again for a really good suggestion re the salmon. My dh pronounced it a success and said it tasted the way he likes his salmon. Since he catches it, his opinion matters.

I sautéed 2 onions, a leek (just cause I had one), three cloves of garlic, a bunch of parsley and half of both the stalks and the fronds of one fennel bulb in evoo and butter. Then added some liquid to make a thick braising liquid, and plopped the salmon hunks on top. Each piece was about the size of a thick deck of cards. I know it was done super fast...but unfortunately, 6 additional people talking to me, and I cooked it longer than I'd have liked. It was still pretty juicy, but for me who likes it semi- rare, well...

Only 4 y.o. dgd had to be told it was chicken...she is at a very fussy stage, incl no one else touching her food. :-) She has studied about germs...

Sadly, no pics...again because upping the usual # of people served Who ALL Talk to Me as I cook!!! and I can barely coordinate it all. What a difference an empty nest makes to the brain.