Irish River Poached Salmon

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What You Need:

  • 2 lbs. center cut fresh salmon
  • Salt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 t cold water
  • 1 stick of butter, chopped into pieces
  • 1 t lemon juice

How to Make It:

  1. Place the salmon in a saucepan that just barely holds the fish.
  2. Fill the saucepan half full of water.
  3. Add 1 T of salt for every 4 C of water added to the saucepan.
  4. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the water to a boil.
  5. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer the fish for 20 minutes.
  6. Turn the heat off from under the saucepan and allow the pan to set undisturbed for 15 minutes.
  7. Place the egg yolks in a saucepan over low heat.
  8. Add the water and whisk briskly until incorporated together well.
  9. Continuously whisking add the butter piece by piece.
  10. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens to a coating consistency.
  11. If the sauce begins to scramble or is too thick remove the pan from the heat and add a little more cold water then continue whisking until the sauce reaches the right thickness.
  12. If the sauce doesn't seem to thicken raise the heat up just slightly.
  13. Once the sauce is thick stir the lemon juice into the mixture.
  14. Remove the salmon from the water.
  15. Remove the skin and place on a serving dish.
  16. Pour the sauce over the top of the salmon just before serving.

Serves: 8

Salmon is a favorite of the Irish and can be found in numbers in the Irish river. Be sure to use a saucepan that the fish just fits into. If poached in a pan that is too large the salmon will loose much of its flavor in the water during simmering. Also remember to keep whisking the sauce continuously while it's cooking. This will keep the sauce from becoming to thick or scrambling and becoming lumpy.