Slammin' Salmon And EVOO

My bride, the Lily of Lima, came home from work the other evening and found herself facing a rather dismal dinner featuring two of her least favorite foods: cooked carrots and poached fish - in this case, salmon (her least favorite fish). It should be mentioned here that she was born and raised in a foreign land where salmon only came from a can, so I can relate to her displeasure.

Cooked carrots have never been a biggie with me either, but Laura Calder, host of French Food at Home on the Cooking channel, uses them a lot. My thought is, if it's good enough for Laura, it's good enough for me. Besides, I really enjoy the simple French foods like those served in the bistros of one of our favorite cities.

For the carrots, I braised about a half pound of baby carrots in a pan with a touch of water, two tablespoons of butter, and a tablespoon of real maple syrup. I cooked the carrots on low heat until they were tender, but not mushy. Prior to plating, I tossed in a couple of tablespoons of coarsely chopped fresh parsley. Voila! A tasty side dish to accompany the Salmon Poached in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

It was time for my afternoon siesta, and I was about to drift off when Chef Anne Burrell on her Food Network show announced the day's menu. Salmon poached in EVOO? This woke me up, and this Burrell recipe is what I prepared for my splendorous spouse.

For this recipe:

I used cheesecloth and butcher's twine for the sachet which consisted of two cloves of smashed garlic, six sprigs of fresh thyme, one lemon with the zest removed in wide strips with a vegetable peeler (use the zest and save the lemon for another day), one tablespoon of coriander seeds, and two bay leaves. Wrap all of these aromatics in the cheesecloth and then tie with the twine.

For each person I would recommend a six to eight ounce salmon fillet with the skin removed. Whether you are preparing two or four fillets, the sachet will remain the same, and you will need at least a quart of EVOO.

Let me add this note about the technique of poaching. Generally the food should be completely submerged in the poaching liquid, and the temperature should remain between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The surface of the liquid should just shimmer with the slightest hint of a bubble. A food thermometer would come in handy.

To prepare for poaching, pour the quart of EVOO into a fairly deep saute pan and toss in the sachet. Bring the temperature to 160 degrees or so and allow the aromatics to flavor the oil for 15 to 20 minutes.

While the oil is coming to temperature, season both sides of the salmon generously with a coarse sea salt.

Gently slide the salmon fillets into the oil. Remember, the oil should completely cover the fish. Let the fish poach for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove the fish with a spatula and transfer to a plate.

That is what I presented to my bride and she is still raving about the poached salmon and the braised carrots. Modesty almost prevents me from declaring that this salmon was the best I have ever had in my whole life. Almost!

While the preparation of the salmon and carrots may seem complicated, it actually took less than an hour from the start of prep to plopping on a plate. The olive oil (once cooled) can be strained and reused.

Bon appetit, y'all.