Cold Poached Salmon with Sauce Verte
Pink salmon chunks are served with herbed Sauce Verte and a simple garnish of alternating cucumber and lemon slices. The salmon is poached in a court bouillon of wine and vegetables, then chilled. Since the work is done ahead of time, it makes a wonderful, seemingly effortless party dish.
Ingredients
- Sauce Verte
- Spinach - 2 ounces, fresh
- Parsley - 2 tablespoons, fresh
- Tarragon - 2 teaspoons, fresh
- Mayonnaise - 1 cup, preferably homemade
- Poached Salmon
- Salmon - One 2-pound, filleted (leave skin on)
- Chablis Wine - 1 cup
- Cold Water - 1 cup
- Lemon - 1, sliced
- Carrot - 1, sliced
- Onion - 1/2, sliced
- Bay Leaves - 4
- Parsley - 2 sprigs
- Thyme - 1 teaspoon
- Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
- Black peppercorns - 1/2 teaspoon, crushed
- Cucumber - 1/2 skin on, sliced thin
- Lemon - 1, sliced thin
Instructions
To prepare the sauce: Blanche the spinach, parsley, and tarragon. Chop fine and squeeze in a towel to remove as much liquid as possible. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
To prepare the salmon: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place salmon, skin-side up, in an ovenproof casserole dish. Add wine, water, lemon, carrot, onion, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, salt, and peppercorns. Cover tightly and bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven; cool the salmon in the cooking liquid, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
To serve: Put the salmon on a cutting surface. Remove the skin. Slice into 1-1/4-inch-wide slices. Fan on serving plates. Drizzle with Sauce Verte, then place a dollop of Sauce Verte at the point of each salmon fan. Garnish with alternating cucumber and lemon slices.
