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Poached Salmon Provencal
If Richard had his way, we would be eating salmon two/three times a week. If he keeps making salmon dishes like this one, I won't complain (I'll have a cheeseburger for lunch).
The latest recipe in his salmon repertoire...
Poached Salmon Provencal
(the "Seriously Simple" cookbook by Diane Rossen Worthington)
Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 pound red and/or yellow tomatoes, chopped
*****
Salmon:
Salmon:
2 pounds salmon fillet, or four 1/2 pound fillet pieces, skin and pin bones removed
2 cups dry white vermouth
1/2 cut pitted kalamata olives, chopped
salt to taste
Directions:
Sauce:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high head. Add fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened and lightly golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat to high. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until tomatoes begin to fall apart and thicken.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Salmon:
Put salmon in a skillet just big enough to hold it. Add the dry vermouth, then enough water to cover the salmon. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Poach for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Just before serving, add the olives, seasoning salt, and 1/4 cup poaching liquid to the sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook to reduce for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.
Transfer the fish pieces to a platter or individual serving plates. Blot any excess liquid and spoon the sauce over.
Serve immediately.
Advance preparation:
Sauce may be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Set aside, covered, at room temperature.
The clever cook could:
Serve this chilled. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons vinaigrette to the sauce before serving, or...
Cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces. Mix the salmon and sauce with hot pasta, or...
Add some vinaigrette to the above pasta dish and chill to serve as a pasta salad.
