POACHED SALMON WITH TARRAGON SAUCE AND FINGERLING POTATOES

This is a whole main course meal in one dish. Serve it with a light first course or salad or soup and a dessert of your choice (something with fruit in it would be nice - a berry pie maybe). This takes some time to prepare but much of it can be done ahead. It makes a very pretty presentation on the plate and the tarragon sauce provides a unique flavor to the fish.

Ask your butcher to give you center-cut salmon if he will, so that the pieces will all be the same size and thickness, and use a skillet deep enough to cover the salmon completely with the liquid. Be sure to use the sugar snap peas; the dish loses oomph without them.

 

POACHED SALMON WITH TARRAGON SAUCE

AND FINGERLING POTATOES

serves 6

 

For the sauce:

2 large bunches fresh tarragon (about 1-oz total)

1 large bunch fresh chives

1 large shallot

3/4 C fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 C mayonnaise (use the light kind)

1/3 C rice vinegar (so it's not seasoned)

2 t Dijon-style mustard

 

For the salmon:

2 1/2 C dry white wine

2 1/2 C water

a 2 lb salmon fillet, with skin

1 1/2 lb pink fingerling potatoes (or other new potatoes)

 

Garnish: with 1/2 lb sugar snap peas, briefly blanched and diagonally cut into thirds.

 

Make the sauce: pick enough tarragon leaves to measure 1/2 C (do not pack). Chop enough chives to measure 1/3 C. Coarsely chop a shallot. In a food processor, puree tarragon, chives and shallot with remaining sauce ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to cool room temperature before serving.

 

2. In a deep 10 inch skillet, bring the wine and water to a simmer, covered. Cut salmon into 6 equal pieces and season with salt and pepper. Submerge 3 salmon pieces, skin sides down, in simmering liquid (add hot water if necessary to just cover salmon) and poach at a bare simmer, covered, 8 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer cooked salmon with slotted spatula or spoon to a platter to cool, and poach remaining salmon in the same manner. When salmon is cool enough to handle, peel off skin and, if desired, scrape off any dark meat with a sharp knife. Salmon may be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to cool room temperature before serving.

 

3. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/8" slices. In a steamer set over boiling water, steam potatoes until just tender, 4-5 minutes.

 

4. Spoon sauce onto 6 plates and arrange some potatoes in a circle, overlapping slightly, on top of sauce. Season potatoes with salt and arrange salmon on top of potatoes. Garnish around edges of the plate with snap peas.

 

5. Serve warm or cold. I prefer cold.