Good Friday is one week away! Make it a really good one this year with simple but elegant poached salmon, wonderful served warm as an Easter weekend centrepiece or ready to be packed up and taken on a perfect picnic.
This recipe uses a whole side of salmon (one whole fillet), but you can follow the same instructions to poach several individual portions in a smaller pan as the cooking time is roughly the same.
Ingredients (serves 6-8)
For the salmon:
1 side of salmon (full fillet, usually around 1k)
1 whole lemon (quartered)
Black peppercorns
For the Dill Sauce:
4-5 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp runny honey
170ml sour cream or crème fraîche
1 tbsp capers (drained)
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
Method
To make the Caper and Dill Sauce, whisk the mustard and honey together before adding the sour cream or crème fraîche, capers, dill and white pepper (to taste) and stirring well. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least two hours (or up to two days) to allow the flavours to develop.
To poach the salmon: sprinkle salt over the flesh side of the salmon fillet and let it sit while you fill a roasting tray big enough to hold the salmon and enough salted water to cover it. Toss the quartered lemon into the water along with around a dozen whole peppercorns, bring to boil on the hob and, when just reaching boiling point, submerge the salmon (skin side down). Lower the heat immediately so that the water is gently bubbling, loosely cover the tray with foil and poach the fish for around 10 minutes (or a minute or two less, if using individual portions) until thoroughly cooked throughout.
If serving warm, you’re ready to go; gently lift the salmon out of the poaching liquid (discarding the lemon quarters and the whole peppercorns), transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh lemon slices and serve with a pile of steamed, buttered new potatoes and a well-dressed salad. If serving cold, transfer the salmon to a sheet pan to cool then cover with plastic film and keep refrigerated.
Either way you’re serving your salmon, don’t forget the Caper and Dill Sauce to go with it!
