Poached Salmon(or Halibut)... with horseradish dill sauce. Sometimes the simplest of recipes are the tastiest. Have you ever poached fish? If you haven't, oh, you must! Well, ok, you should consider it:)... because poaching fish, salmon especially, has got to be one of the easiest cooking methods. Poaching the fish yields a moist, flaky fish, and as a plus, this method doesn't make the house smell. That's right, no fishy odor. It's the perfect dish for when you have company.
While you can poach fish using a variety of ways, I rather like the equal parts of wine and water. You can certainly poach the fish in a broth of sorts, even water will do. If you want to go the more luxurious route, try poaching the fish in melted butter.
But with all these poaching methods, adding herbs and seasonings will enhance the flavor of the fish minimally, with a subtle flavor... letting the fish shine. I chose to add a few slices of lime to my poaching liquid. However, I noticed the slices of lime can give the liquid a bitter sort of taste, so if you want to use the poaching liquid(to further reduce for a sauce), you might want to use the juice only. The bitter taste however does not translate into the fish. Of course, you could also use lemon slices.
To extend the use of the poaching liquid, I've managed to poach eggs in it... makes me feel better that I'm not letting the flavorful liquid go to waste completely. And then I also have some poached eggs:)...
I've included a horseradish dill sauce... made with sour cream. You could use Greek yoghurt, but I rather like it with the sour cream, as it's a bit more mellow and not as tangy. You could of course do a mix of yoghurt and sour cream.... or even add a bit of mayonnaise to round up the flavors. If you don't care for horseradish, you could add a bit of grated cucumber(tzatziki style), though the horseradish isn't very strong in flavor, it's quite muted really.
Brining the fish for 30 minutes does wonders to fish. It simply wakes it up! The salt penetrates the fish to give you maximum flavor... and it also firms the flesh of the fish. I think brining comes in especially handy when using frozen fish. Gives the fish that "just caught" taste and texture.
I've listed the ingredient amounts for making 2 fish fillets(about 1 lb, a little less maybe)... but you can double or triple amounts if you want to make a bigger quantity. The poached fish is excellent at room temperature, but it's equally great cold. So you can certainly make this for a light dinner or include it as a brunch item. Great for a crowd, with minimal work. Healthy, too. I LOVED the salmon... and my husband loved his halibut:). Hope you enjoy...
You will need:
Fish:
2 (6-8 oz) salmon fillet pieces, (I used 1 salmon and 1 halibut)
Brine:
2 cups water
2 TBS kosher salt
Poaching Liquid: enough for 2 pieces, maybe 3
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
few slices of onion,
few sprigs of fresh dill
few lime/lemon slices (optional)
Horseradish Sauce: enough for 2-3 fish pieces, can double
2/3 cup sour cream
2 TBS chopped fresh dill, lightly packed
3 tsps prepared horseradish
1 TBs olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
pinch of salt
lime/lemon juice, if desired
Extra:
lime/lemon slices
freshly cracked pepper
Directions:
Brine Fish:
1. Combine brine ingredients(water and salt). Stir until salt is dissolved. Pour over fish, making sure fish is covered. Place in fridge for 30 minutes.
Make Horseradish Sauce: Chop dill, leaves only, setting the stems aside.
1. In bowl, add sour cream, dill,and horseradish. Whisk to combine.
2. Add olive oil and whisk to combine. Add dried onion powder and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine and refrigerate until ready. If you like, you can add a bit of lime/lemon juice to taste.
Make Poaching Liquid: when ready to poach, remove fish from fridge and from brine.
1. Mix water and wine. Set aside.
2. In a skillet, make a bed with dill, sliced onion, and lemon/ lime slices( if using)....
3. Pour wine mix over vegetables, and bring to a boil. Place fish fillets on top and cover.
4. Lower heat to as simmer, and cook for 5-8 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. I cooked mine for 6 minutes. Just be careful not to overcook.
5. Remove fish from poaching liquid. At this point, you can serve room temperature, or refrigerate until cold.
6. Top with horseradish sauce and a couple of turns of cracked fresh black pepper. Serve with lime or lemon wedges.
