Poached Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce
I adore poached salmon. No one poaches fish anymore, but it’s a simple, elegant, feed-a-crowd meal. Plus this recipe provides great leftovers—think salmon salad, salmon cakes or salmon aspic.
Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Andrew Zimmern Cooks: Poached Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups dry white wine
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 3 parsley sprigs
- 3 dill sprigs
- 3 tarragon sprigs, plus a few sprigs for garnish (optional)
- Salt
- One 2-pound fillet of fresh salmon, pin bones removed, tail trimmed
No-Fail Hollandaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
- Salt
Instructions
SERVINGS: 4
In a fish poacher or a pot large enough to hold the salmon, combine the wine, onion, celery, peppercorns, parsley, dill, tarragon and salt. Add 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add the salmon fillet (it should be submerged, add a little more wine if need be) and bring it back to a simmer. Lower heat to maintain simmer, cover and cook gently over low heat until the salmon is just cooked through, 12 to 13 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand in the liquid for 2 to 3 minutes.
Using two spatulas, carefully transfer the salmon fillet to a platter. Serve the hot salmon with the no-fail hollandaise, recipe below.
No-Fail Hollandaise
In a non-reactive heat-proof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, whisk the water with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, tarragon, cayenne pepper and egg yolks until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk continuously, removing the pan from the heat source briefly if it gets too hot. Add the butter, whisking constantly until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.
If the sauce is too thick, whisk in warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the sauce is just pourable. Season with salt. Serve with the salmon fillets.
