Poaching fish is an underrated way to prepare it. Maybe it is not complicated or pretty enough of a method, but when done correctly on a very low heat, it never fails to yield amazing results – fish so tender it literally melts on your tongue!
Feel free to use a court bouillon (pronounced “coor boo-YONE”) for poaching. Don’t let the fancy French name fool you. Court Bouillon means “short broth” in French, and is a flavorful, aromatic liquid used for poaching fish and shellfish. The simplest court bouillon consists of nothing but salted water, while some traditional recipes call for a mixture of half salted water and half milk.
In this instance, I used fish fumet to poach the salmon instead (since I had some leftover from Sunday’s cooking adventures). Instead of white wine, I opted for rose too and added a tinge of vinegar and bunch of aromatics for extra flavours. The recipe is paleo, keto, gluten-free, dairy free and fairly low carb. Best of all, it merely takes 25 minutes to make from beginning to end.
As for the fish to use when poaching, feel free to use other lean fish besides fatty ones like salmon such as cod, halibut, snapper, tilipia or haddock. I personally prefer the thicker and meatier fish like salmon, trout and artic char.
Ingredients
- 2 pieces of salmon (~150g each)
- 1 cup dry rosé
- 1 cup fish fumet
- 2 shallots, halved
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1/2 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 3-4 star anise
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter
- 1 tablespoon of diced parsley and/or dill stems (reserve the leaf for garnish)
- 1 stem of asparagus, diced
- 6 small mussels
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar
Instructions
- Remove salmon fillets from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
- Add a dollop of olive oil or butter and gently fry the garlic, shallot, celery, carrots and the diced parsley/dill stems for a few minutes.
- Add the vinegar and rose and stir for 20 seconds. Add the fish fumet, along with the lemon slices, star anise, juniper berries, black peppercorn and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to very low, just below a simmer (180ºF (82ºC)). This will ensure you don't overcook the salmon.
- Gently slip salmon fillets into the liquid with a fish spatula or your hands.
- Continue to cook at this very low heat below a simmer for 8-10 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fillets. Feel free to use a thermometer if you desire, but if you don’t have one just make sure to keep it just below a simmer. You should still see a few bubbles rising from under the fillets, but not too many.
- During the cooking process, baste any portion of the fillets that is not covered by the liquid by spooning some liquid over the tops. This will help ensure the tops are cooked gently through. After 5 minutes, add the chopped asparagus and mussels to the fumet. Continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes. Once done, carefully use the fish spatula to remove the fillets, mussels and asparagus into a bowl and using a ladle, generously spoon the broth mixture over the fish. Garnish with remaining dill and/or parsley leaves. Serve while warm.
