Perfect Poached Salmon Food

SIMPLE POACHED SALMON

Steps:

• In a large, deep, straight-sided skillet or heavy pot, combine carrots, celery, onion, lemon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 8 minutes.
• Season salmon with salt and gently lower into simmering liquid (liquid should just cover fish). Reduce to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook until salmon is opaque throughout, about 5 minutes (longer for thicker fillets). Using a wide slotted spatula, remove salmon from liquid.

PERFECT POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Heat the water: Add enough water to come 1 inch up the side of a narrow, deep 2-quart saucier. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons white vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, crack 1 very fresh cold large egg into a custard cup or small ramekin. Use the handle of a spatula or spoon to quickly stir the water in one direction until it's all smoothly spinning around.
• TIP: Use this whirlpool method when poaching a single serving (one or two eggs). For bigger batches, heat the water, salt and vinegar in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and do not stir.
• Add the egg: Carefully drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. The swirling water will help prevent the white from "feathering," or spreading out in the pan.
• Let it poach: Turn off the heat, cover the pan and set your timer for 5 minutes. Don't peek, poke, stir or accost the egg in any way.
• Lift it out: Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and serve immediately. Alternatively, move the egg to an ice bath and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Reheat in warm water just before serving.

POACHED SALMON

Steps:

• Cut each fillet into six serving pieces. Set aside.
• Fill a large fish poacher or roasting pan with enough water to cover the fish when it is added later, and bring the water to a boil. Add the salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, onion, carrot, celery and the sprigs of parsley, and simmer for five minutes.
• Place the butter, lemon juice, white pepper and minced parsley in a mixing bowl. Beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Place the mixture on wax paper and roll into the shape of a log. Chill until ready to use.
• Add the fish pieces to the court bouillon, cover with a piece of cheesecloth and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cheese cloth and drain the fish on paper towels. Serve with the maitre d'hotel butter.

FOIL-POACHED SALMON WITH HERBY MAYO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/ gas 2. Place a large piece of double-width foil on top of a large baking sheet and brush it with oil, then put the salmon in the centre. Tuck a few generous sprigs of dill and the shallots in the body cavity, then season.
• Carefully bring up the sides of the foil to surround the fish, season well inside and out, then pour over the wine.
• Seal the foil all the way round, but not too tightly on the fish - you need to give it a bit of space within the parcel. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins.
• Once the salmon has cooked, carefully unwrap the foil parcel and pull the dorsal fin on the spine of the fish. If the salmon is ready, it should come away very easily. Reseal the parcel and leave to cool - it will carry on cooking a little more as it cools. If you are not sure that the salmon is cooked sufficiently, return it to the oven for 10 mins more.
• When cold, carefully peel away the skin from one side of the salmon. You may need to use a knife to get you started, but it should peel away easily after that. Leave the cooked dill and shallot in place, as you may damage the flesh of the salmon if you try to remove them.
• Use a knife to scrape off the brown fatty flesh. It tastes delicious but doesn't look as attractive as the pink flesh underneath. Carefully turn the salmon over onto a platter and remove the skin and brown flesh from the other side.
• To serve, carefully remove the fillets from one side of the fish, leaving behind the bones. You will see that the fish has a natural divide of 2 long fillets on each side. Insert your knife along the centre and carefully ease off each fillet. Transfer the fillets to a platter, bone-side up.
• Lift up the central bone from the remaining whole fish - it should come away in one piece - and remove the aromatics. Ease the 2 remaining fillets apart and remove any pin bones. Reassemble the salmon on the platter. Stir the herbs into your mayonnaise and garnish the salmon with watercress, cucumber, herbs and lemon.

POACHED SALMON

Steps:

• Put water in a poaching dish or pan -- add enough to partially cover the salmon.
• Add lemon juice, black peppercorns, and salt, then mix.
• Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and add salmon.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove salmon and drain.

POACHED SALMON WITH LEMON MINT TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Salmon:.
• Put the wine, water, bay leaves, parsley and one of the sliced lemons in a large skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the salmon skin side down. Add more water if necessary to cover the fillet. Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes per inch thickness. With two large spatulas carefully transfer the fish to a plate, cover it and let it cool. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely- about 3 hours.
• Once chilled, remove the skin from the salmon. Uncover the fish, place a clean plate or baking sheet on top and flip the two over to the fish is skin side up on the clean plate. Peel the skin from the fillet and scrape away any discolored flesh. Flip the fish again right side up onto a serving plate. Garnish with the scallion greens and the remaining lemon slices.
• Sauce:.
• If using regualr yogurt spoon it into a strainer lined with a paper towel or coffee filter and set over a bowl. Let is drain and thicken for 30 minutes. Coarsely grate the cucumber. Drain it well in another strainer for a minute or two pressing out as much liquid as possible.
• In a meduim bowl stir together the drained or Greek yogurt, the grated cucumber oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and mint. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sauce will keep 3 days in airtight container in fridge.

POACHED SALMON

Steps:

• Fill a saute pan wide enough to hold the salmon in a single layer without overlapping the fillets and tall enough to cover the salmon with water about 1/4 of the way to the top. Add the vinegar, honey, and salt. Whisk to combine.
• Carefully lower the salmon fillets into the pan in a single layer. Add more water so that they are just barely covered.
• Scatter the dill, peppercorns, and bay leaf over the top.
• Bring the water to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Simmer the salmon, adjusting the heat as needed so that you maintain a steady simmer but not a rapid boil. Let cook 2 minutes.
• Check the temperature of the salmon using an instant read thermometer. It should be around 135 to 140 degrees F, no more (fish is considered cooked at 145 degrees F, but the temperature will continue to rise as it rests). If needed, cook it 1 to 2 minutes more. DO NOT overcook or your salmon will be dry.
• With a wide spatula, gently lift the poached salmon out of the water and place it on a plate (discard the poaching liquid). Cover and let rest 4 minutes. Enjoy hot, sprinkled with additional chopped dill, cracked black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon as desired.