POACHED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER AND CAPER SAUCE

SOURCE: MARION CUNNINGHAM. THE SUPPER BOOK.

According to the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Research, salmon and cucumber share a mutual olfactory profile due to the former, in its earliest stage of fatty acid oxidation, producing the same compounds responsible for the aroma of the latter. Highly trained sensory experts have also assessed that the cucumber-like smell of salmon actually serves as an endpoint for its edibility when any hint of freshness has dissipated. By spiking the fragrant vapors of the salmon juices sealed from poaching, cucumber deliberately masks the fish from serious background checks and successfully persuades the ideality of their union to the human subconscious.

Ingredients

Cucumber and Caper Sauce

3 tablespoons/45 grams unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups/160 grams diced cucumber

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons/45 mL water

1 tablespoon/9 grams drained capers

2 tablespoons/8 grams finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

Salt

OPTIONAL: 1 small onion, coarsely chopped

OPTIONAL: 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

OPTIONAL: 2 sprigs dill, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

OPTIONAL: 1 small bay leaf

OPTIONAL: 12 white peppercorns

2 pound/900 grams salmon fillet, cut into 4 equal portions

OPTIONAL: Chopped parsley for garnish

Specific Equipment

Small skillet or sauté pan

Pot large enough to fit all salmon pieces

Slotted spoon

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a small skillet or sauté over low heat. Sauté in the cucumber and season lightly with salt, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until the cucumber pieces have softened but not dried.

2. Stir in water and capers, and cook for 1 minute or until the liquid has reduced slightly. Correct the seasoning of the sauce by adjusting the salt according to taste. Remove the skillet or sauté pan from heat and stir in parsley until well-blended. Set the sauce aside.

3. Bring water in a pot to a boil over medium heat and stir in a heaping tablespoon of salt until completely dissolved. Add the onion, parsley, dill, bay leaf, and peppercorns, if desired, and reduce the heat to a gentle boil for 5 minutes.

4. Poach in the salmon fillets and remove the pot immediately from heat. Let the salmon rest in the liquid for 10 minutes or until the salmon has turned pale pink.

5. Arrange few spoonfuls of the cucumber and caper mixture on individual serving plates, leaving a large opening in the middle. Remove the salmon fillets from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them in the middle of the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.