Boiled salmon

Whole poached salmon recipe

Preparation and cooking

• - Prepare salmon.
  Let your salmon whole.
  First you have to remove its stomach contents.
  Do not scale it.
  Trim ventral, dorsal and pectoral gills.
  If salmon is too long for your kettle, remove its head and tail. But frankly it is perhaps better to buy a smaller salmon if you want a scenic serving plate.
  Run under cold water.
• - Cook salmon.
  Put salmon into a fish kettle, cover it with court bouillon or fumet and bring to a boil.
  Low the flame and simmer until tender.
  It is difficult to say how much time is necessary: it depends on many things.
  In this case you need about 30 minutes but remember to check its cooking before the end.

Just before serving

• - When salmon is cooked, remove it from the kettle and put on a working surface with delicacy.
  Pull away its skin (try to let it whole with its head and tail).
  Put it on a serving plate and brush with some jelly.
  You can accompany it with the typical sauces for fish (such as mayonnaise) or with melted butter dressed with salt and pepper. Link below!

Note

Tips

• - If you are really expert and fast, you can also bone completely salmon, in addition to remove its skin, and rebuild it in a serving dish. In this case you'll bring it to the table without create any inconvenience to your guests.
• - The technique that I have just written goes well for the whole fish. If you have only fillets or steaks for a few people it is better to steam them according to me, so your fish will be impregnated with less water. And then dress it with olive oil, chives and salt. You can also add lemon juice. For details, see the recipe for steamed salmon fillets (link below).

Menu planning

• - Poached salmon is not an idea for your family menu but only for a full menu when you have a lot of guests. I have just written it serves 8 but in reality if you plan a full menu, a salmon of this size is enough for many more people. So it is an excellent solution for your meatless Christmas Eve dinner or every time you plan a seated fish menu or a dinner, buffet-style.
• - Serve poached salmon with seasonal side dishes. For example in winter with broccoli, kale or fennel. In spring with asparagus or peas. In summer with tomato salad or stewed peppers. In autumn with mushrooms. Consult our directory of vegetables to discover the most appropriate cooking ideas and recipes.
• - In any case, salmon is a high-quaòity fish with tasty meat that everyone likes. You'll never be wrong choosing it. But it is important to cook it in a simple way. This is the reason why the most popular recipes in Italy in addition to this one are salmon carpaccio and grilled salmon. Link in the next paragraph!

Useful links for this recipe

• - I begin with the link to fish sauces and vegetable recipes.
• - Here are the recipes for steamed salmon fillets, salmon carpaccio and grilled salmon.

Healthy eating

• - Nutrition facts show you only salmon portion (150g - 5 1/3 ounces) with no sauce or dressing.
• - There is no fiber in this recipe.

Loretta

What's the right wine ?

My husband and I suggest to pair a good white wine from Italy such Fiano di Avellino (from Campania).