Poached Salmon (don’t be like me)
I thought that after my salmon chowder post, my seafood fears were gone. Apparently I was wrong, because I just now got around to cooking the rest of the salmon I received from Foodbuzz. And I was nervous about it. For good reason, apparently, as I managed to overcook it to the point that it was almost inedible. You should have seen Mike’s face when he took his first bite. I almost felt bad, until I remembered that hey, at least he had dinner waiting for him when he came home.
The ultimate failure was really a culmination of issues. First, I cooked it from frozen, which meant I couldn’t follow the recipe’s exact cooking times. Since I was confused about that, I decided to use a meat thermometer to help me gauge the temperature. Intelligent choice, right? Umm…only if I actually know the temperature to which salmon is supposed to be cooked. I didn’t (still don’t actually…anyone?), so I did a quick google search, which came up with a number that turned out to be higher than you should ever cook fish. Ever. (My first clue should have been when it matched the “poultry” setting on my thermometer.) Umm..yeah, not my smartest moment. And on top of all that, when I came back into the kitchen after getting wrong answers from google, I found my salmon, which was supposed to be gently simmering in its white wine bath, boiling instead. Yes, boiling. So pretty much there was no hope of this dinner turning out well. Does it make me a bad wife if I gave it to Mike to eat anyway?
All of that to say: Don’t be like me. Don’t overcook your fish. But do make this recipe. Seriously. The flavor was incredible. Good enough that the fish wasn’t terrible, even after I did everything in my power to make it inedible. I served it on top of some brown rice that had been flavored with sesame oil and the leftover poaching liquid. Absolutely delicious. So I encourage you to try this recipe, then report back to me and tell me that you did better than I did. It might make me feel better.
Poached Salmon
Yield: Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1 to 1½ pounds salmon fillets
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup water
A few thin slices of yellow onion and/or 1 shallot, peeled and sliced thin
Several sprigs of fresh dill or sprinkle of dried dill
A sprig of fresh parsley
Directions:
Put wine, water, dill, parsley and onions in a saute pan, and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Salt and pepper salmon, and place, skin-side down on the pan. Cover. Cook 5 minutes or to desired done-ness. Do not overcook.
adapted, slightly, from Simply Recipes