Poached Salmon with Herb Cream Sauce

Finally! Another recipe. Like May, June has been a month busy with work and other things.

The following recipe is an adaptation of a Cook's Illustrated recipe, which used slightly different proportions and some different ingredients.

Okay, a few pointers:

• Poaching: What is it? There are a few varieties, but the type used in this recipe is called "shallow poaching." That is cooking something in a shallow, wide pan such that the thing is surrounding, but not submerged in liquid. It combines direct contact with liquid with steaming. Other forms of poaching involved full submersion, and can create equally tasty results (e.g., a stew is akin to a full-submersion poach.
  
• Don't overcook the salmon. Salmon, when cooked just right, has a lovely, almost velvety texture. Depending on the thickness and the poaching temperature, I do not recommend anything more than about 15 minutes.
  
• Go easy on the dijon: I happened to eyeball it, and it was waaaaay too dijony and acidic. Please measure.
  
• Go easy on the white wine: Again, you don't want too much acidity
• Go easy on the lemon juice: Do I sound like a broken record?
• If you can, find a cut of salmon that has even thickness. Sometimes the prepackaged stuff is this way, but more likely it is not. Ask you butcher for an even cut - really, they won't mind. An even cut is important because it means that the meat will all be done at the same time. As mentioned above, overdone salmon isn't really worth eating.
  

Else than that? Ummm... I think that is about it. Anyways, here is the recipe! Enjoy!

2 lemons
2 shallots, minced (about 4 tablespoons)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
1 skinless salmon fillet (1 - 1 1/2 lbs), about 1 1/2 inches at thickest part
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons fresh oregano and basil, minced
Salt and ground black pepper


Cut top and bottom off 1 lemon; cut into eight 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut remaining lemon into 8 wedges and set aside. Arrange lemon slices in single layer across bottom of 12-inch skillet. Scatter 2 tablespoons minced shallots evenly over lemon slices. Add wine and water.

Place salmon fillet in skillet, skinned-side down, on top of lemon slices. Set pan over high heat and bring liquid to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until sides are opaque but center of thickest part is still translucent (or until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 125 degrees), 11 to 16 minutes. Remove pan from heat and, using spatula, carefully transfer salmon and lemon slices to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

Return pan to high heat and simmer cooking liquid until slightly thickened and reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 5 minutes. Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl; discard solids. Return strained liquid to skillet; whisk in Dijon mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons shallot. Simmer over high heat until slightly thickened and reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and juice from 1 reserved lemon wedge; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and the minced herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Season salmon lightly with salt and pepper. Using spatula, carefully lift and tilt salmon fillets to remove lemon slices. Place salmon on serving platter or individual plates and spoon sauce over top. Serve, passing reserved lemon wedges separately.