P-G TESTED

This earthy dish is best with wild-caught salmon. "Its long, rich flavors," says Zuni Cafe's Judy Rodgers, "are great with a medium-bodied red wine such as pinot noir, merlot or sangiovese." If you use canned cannelini beans, it is quickly assembled. You can also substitute cooked lentils.

• 4 six-ounce salmon filets, 1 to 11/2 inches thick. (Virginia Phillips used a thinner 11/2 pound filet, cut into 4 serving pieces)
• Salt
• 1 1/3 cups medium-bodied red wine such as sangiovese, pinot noir or light merlot
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 ounces thickly sliced bacon cut into 1/4 inch strips
• About 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced and chilled
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onions
• A few sprigs fresh thyme or 11/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 cup cooked flageolets, cooking liquid reserved (You can substitute canned cannelini beans, drained)
• 1 bay leaf

Season the salmon evenly with salt, several hours ahead if possible. Cover loosely and refrigerate.

Place the wine in a small saucepan and reduce to about ¹/₃ cup. Add the chicken stock and return to a simmer. Turn off the heat.

Place the bacon in a 12- to 14-inch ovenproof skillet and lightly heat slightly and pour off all but a film of the fat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the carrots, celery, onions and 1 sprig of the thyme. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the beans, about 1 cup of the red wine-stock mixture, the bay leaf, another sprig of thyme, and 3 tablespoons of the butter. Raise the heat to medium and swirl as the liquid comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, add salmon and swirl and tilt pan to baste the top of fish. Make sure no beans, bacon or bits of vegetables are perched on top of the fish where they could burn.

Place pan under the broiler. Cook for 6 or 7 minutes, (a minute or two less, if salmon is thinner). Salmon should be still rare and the surface of the dish should be sizzling and beginning to color. If too rare, turn oven down to 500 and let the salmon cook a minute or two more. If you need more sauce add the last splash of the red wine-stock mixture and a bit more chicken stock. Correct the salt.

Serves 4.