Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinaigrette {recipe}

By polloazul

Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• 1 large shallot (I used red onions because the shallots I bought ended up being bad!)
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley leaves, stems reserved
• 2 tablespoons minced tarragon leaves, stems reserved
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Altesse white table wine from Savoie)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1 3/4-2 pound skinless salmon fillet, about 1 1/2 inches at thickest part
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey (I left this out and it tasted fine to us!)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Cut ends off lemons. Slice one lemon into 8-10 ¼-inch thick slices. Cut the other lemon into wedges and set aside.

Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer across the bottom of a 12-inch skillet. Scatter 2 tablespoons of minced shallots and herb stems over the lemons. Add wine and water.

Use a sharp knife to trim any whitish fat from the belly of the fillet and cut into four equal pieces. Place the salmon fillets in the skillet skinned-side down on top of the lemon slices.

Set the pan over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the sides of the fillet are opaque but the center of the thickest part of the fillets is still translucent (or until the thickest part of the fillets registers 125°F on instant-read thermometer), about 11-16 minutes. (Our salmon took exactly 11 minutes.)

Remove the pan from the heat and using a spatula, carefully transfer the salmon and lemon slices to a paper-towel-lined plate. Tent loosely with foil.

Return the pan to high heat and simmer the cooking liquid until slightly thickened and reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 – 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons shallots, minced herbs, capers, olive oil, and honey in a bowl. Strain the reduced cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl with the herb-caper mixture, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Whisk to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Season the salmon lightly with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, carefully lift and tilt the salmon fillets to remove the lemon slices. Place the salmon on a serving platter or individual plates and spoon the vinaigrette over the top.

Serve, passing reserved lemon wedges separately.