Poached Salmon With Watercress And Peaches Food

POACHED SALMON ON WATERCRESS WITH CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• To make the salmon: Combine all ingredients except the salmon in a medium skillet or saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides, add to simmering liquid, and cover. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until just done.
• To make the vinaigrette: Whisk together the olive oil and citrus juices, add the dill, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Toss the watercress with 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the watercress on a large platter and place the salmon in the center. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette and garnish with dill.

POACHED SALMON WITH LEMON CRISPS AND MEYER LEMON CREAM

Steps:

• For the court boullion: Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Strain the stock and season with salt. In a shallow roasting pan, bring the stock to just below a simmer. Fully submerge the portion cut pieces of salmon in the stock and cook to desired doneness. See Chef's Note 1.
• Remove the portions with a spatula and chill until service. See Chef's Note 2.
• For the Meyer lemon cream: Place the garlic, shallots, Meyer lemon peels, and white wine in a pot over medium heat and allow the wine to reduce by half. Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Whisk in the turmeric. Season with salt and the juice of the Meyer lemon. Strain through a sieve to remove the garlic, shallots, and lemon peel. Chill until service.;
• For the lemon crisps: In a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat, heat 1 to 2 inches of the oil in a deep saucepot to about 250 degrees F. Cut off the ends of the lemons. Using a sharp mandolin, slice the lemons into thin rings about 1/16th of an inch. Coat each ring individually in the rice flour and fry in the hot oil until it begins to slightly brown. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel and allow them to sit for a minute to fully cook.;
• For assembly: On a nice serving platter, make an even coat of the lemon cream sauce. Place the poached salmon on top of the cream and top with lemon crisps and sprigs of watercress or any other decorative green herb.

POACHED SALMON WITH WATERCRESS AND PEACHES

Steps:

• Poach salmon: In a large straight-sided skillet, combine 6 cups water, lemon slices, peppercorns, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Add salmon (water should just cover fish), cover, and cook until opaque throughout, 5 to 8 minutes. With a wide, slotted spatula, transfer salmon to a plate.
• To serve: Whisk together lemon zest and juice, oil, and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Divide watercress, peaches, and basil among 4 plates, top with salmon, and drizzle with dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

POACHED WHOLE SALMON

Steps:

• Prepare poacher Pour the Court Bouillon into a fish poacher and set the poacher over two burners on the stove. Lower the rack so it rests on the vegetables (in the court bouillon), then lay salmon on rack (trim the tail if necessary to fit inside). Add enough cool water to cover the fish completely; or, if only a small bit of fish is showing, you can cover it with a piece of parchment paper (cut to fit inside poacher).
• Poach fish Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low. Check temperature with a candy thermometer and adjust heat so it is between 165° and 180°F (very few bubbles will break the surface but there should be steam coming from the surface). Poach salmon, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain the proper temperature, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest section registers 130°F (fish will continue cooking off heat). You can also test by inserting a knife into the flesh along the backbone; the flesh should still be slightly translucent and offer little resistance. The cooking time should be about 5 minutes per inch of thickness (once liquid has reached a simmer). Remove poacher from heat and allow it to cool until you no longer see any steam, about 1 hour. Lift the rack with the salmon from the poacher and set it over a large pan (or the sink) to allow the salmon to drain until just cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare fish for serving Transfer salmon to a clean work surface. Use your fingers and a paring knife to pull and scrape off the skin from the top side of the fish. Use the back of the knife to scrape off any brown areas from the surface. Using two large spatulas, carefully slide the salmon onto a serving platter. At this point, the salmon can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
• Serve Slice the cucumber lengthwise into very thin strips. Arrange the strips diagonally across salmon, spacing them about 1 inch apart, and tuck the ends underneath so they appear to wrap around the fish. Garnish with watercress. Separate into pieces and serve sauce and lemon wedges on the side.
• The salmon is garnished with a mixture of watercress and Upland cress (a member of the mustard family with a sharp, spicy flavor), which are also used in the accompanying sauce. You can find Upland cress (also called English cress or garden cress) at farmers' markets, or use all watercress instead.
• A poacher is just the right size and shape for cooking a large whole fish, such as the salmon in this recipe. For smaller whole fish, a roasting pan fitted with a wire rack can be used instead.
• To make the paper-thin strips of cucumber that appear to wrap around the fish, a mandoline is the best tool. A Japanese-style mandoline, such as Benriner, is inexpensive and sold at most kitchen supply shops. A vegetable peeler can be used instead, but it will not be able to produce the same uniform thickness as the mandoline.
• Peel and finely chop 1 English cucumber, then toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt and 1 tablespoon each Champagne vinegar and small (nonpareil) capers that have been rinsed and drained. Set aside for 5 minutes, then stir in 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup finely chopped cress (use half watercress and half Upland cress, if you can find it). Season with freshly ground pepper and more salt. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving. Makes about 2 1/4 cups.

POACHED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER, CRESS, AND CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Make a Court-Bouillon: Pour 6 quarts cold water into a large stockpot. Add carrots, celery, leek, vinegar, lemon, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, and cook 30 minutes. Pour into a fish poacher, and set aside until lukewarm, about 45 minutes.
• Set fish poacher on stove over two burners. Lower rack so it rests on vegetables; place salmon on rack (remove tail if needed). Add enough water to cover.
• Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; immediately reduce heat to medium-low. Poach salmon 10 minutes per inch of thickness or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest point registers 130 degrees. Remove poacher from heat; let cool until no longer steaming, about 1 hour. Refrigerate salmon in court-bouillon overnight.
• Lift salmon on rack from the court-bouillon, and set over a large pan or sink; let drain 30 minutes. Transfer salmon to a clean work surface. Cut through skin near head, and pull skin off top side of fish. Use the back of a knife to scrape off any brown flesh from surface. Using tweezers, pull out bones along back. Slide salmon onto a serving platter. Salmon can be refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, up to 4 hours before serving.
• To serve, cut cucumber lengthwise into very thin strips using a mandoline or vegetable peeler. Arrange strips diagonally across salmon, spacing 1 inch apart. Garnish with remaining cucumber, cress, and chives. Serve with sauce.