Poached Salmon In Cucumber Sauce

With many meals coming up on Passover, you look to have some lighter menus that are also festive. I find that fish fits the bill quite nicely.

I particularly like this recipe since it’s unbelievably quick to make and the salmon’s texture is so delicately soft and also cuts so beautifully that I am tempted to make it all the time. But then I’d get tired of it and that would be just sad. So, control yourselves. Once you’ve made this, the temptation is to just keep on making it again and again.

Poaching is a very simple thing, it entails putting together a tasty liquid in which you cook the salmon for no more than 8-10 minutes on low simmer and when done, immediately move off the fire and uncover it to cool. You don’t want it to overcook but I promise you it’s not uncooked in the center which I hate. If it’s a very thin fillet, 8 minutes should be sufficient, if thick, 10 minutes.

First assemble the poaching liquid. Make sure the pot you use will hold the fillet, if you use sliced individual fillets, try to have enough surface for them to have their own room. I like white wine – about a 1/4 of a cup is plenty, if you want a stronger flavor you can use 1/3 cup. I find 1/2 a cup too overpowering- remember salmon’s delicate flavor. Then, fresh dill and/or parsley is great for a bright, clean flavor note. I add two bay leaves and I add half a large onion or one medium one, thinly sliced into rings, and one small thinly sliced lemon or half a large one. Then add water to this mixture to about half the height of the pan. Bring the liquid to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

Gently slide the clean fillet in, with skin attached (without skin it can fall apart). Really and truly, I am telling you straight, do NOT cook longer than 10 minutes. The difference between awesome, succulent salmon and not is both the quality of the fish and the timing.

If you use a whole fillet as above, it’s very pretty plated with lemon and parsley or dill on a platter. It also cuts beautifully without flaking or cracking apart and then plates perfectly on individual plates.

You can serve it like above or add smoked salmon for a double salmon whammo which really looks and tastes awesome.

The cucumber sauce is easy to prepare. You need mayo (in this I infinitely prefer full fat to light, it makes a huge difference in the flavor) chopped fresh onion (yes, fresh, despite my not always being into it, you need that little bit of bite), salt, dill, cucumbers in brine with a little of the pickle juice to thin the mayo a bit.

And you whisk the whole thing together in a big bowl. It’s so yum you feel like drinking it down like a drink but don’t. 😉 keep it for your salmon. Although, when I have left over sauce it goes beautifully with a lettuce salad as well. You can make it thicker or thinner as you prefer. You can add a bit of water if need be.

Super delish, tender and creamy, redolent of spring, this will become a favorite with your family.

Poached Salmon in Cucumber Sauce

About a pound (500 grams) of fresh salmon fillet with skin, washed and skin lightly scraped (to remove any lingering scales. This can be a whole fillet or sliced fillets

1 small lemon, washed and thinly sliced

a small bundle of fresh dill, washed and cleaned, save some for cucumber sauce

2 bay leaves (optional but desired)

1 large onion halved (save other half for cucumber sauce, it will be chopped), peeled and sliced in rings

1/4-1/3 cup white wine

1 teaspoon salt

Smoked salmon (optional) as garnish

Cucumber Sauce

2 medium cucumbers, unpeeled, chopped

5 medium pickles in brine, with a bit of the pickle juice, chopped

a few sprigs of dill, washed and chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup full fat mayonnaise

1/2 an onion, chopped

Directions:

Take a wide pot, big enough to hold the fillet (or sliced fillets without them covering each other – they need the space next to each other to poach properly). Put in the white wine, lemon, onion, salt and dill, and bay leaves if using and add water to come up halfway up the pot. Bring to a boil, lower to medium simmer and cook for 10 minutes, covered.

Take off the cover (still leaving on the heat) and gently slide the cleaned salmon into the simmering liquid. (I use a flexible cutting board to slip the fish right into the pan). For a thin fillet, cook for 8 minutes. For a thick fillet 10 minutes but really and truly NO LONGER THAN THAT or you will overcook the salmon. Set a timer, don’t walk away. As soon as your timer goes off, remove the fish from the heat and take off the cover till cooled. It’s best to wait till it cools before removing from the liquid so the fillet is far less likely to crack.

Using two spatulas (preferably the elongated fish kind) gently and carefully remove the fish from the liquid. Discard the liquid, refrigerate the fish.

For the cucumber sauce, take the cucumber, onion, pickles, dill which is chopped and mix together in a big bowl. Sprinkle with the salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo and pickle juice and if needed a bit of water till you get a creamy consistency but not too thick, it’s meant to be a salad dressing. Pour over the chopped veggies in the bowl and toss to combine. It will look like a bowl of springtime!

Serve salmon with lemon slice and cucumber sauce and a rosette of smoked salmon if you wish and prepare to be dazzled!