Poached Salmon with Bearnaise Sauce

J – Bearnaise Sauce is not just for “French food”

… and poached salmon does not have to be bland. I know this, but I wanted Luke’s take on it. My experiences with him tell me it will be anything but bland. Expect heat somewhere, especially because we still had a ton of crazy-hot peppers Christina was so wild about the other day.

So, in walk Luke and Chris with the usual “box” and some awesome, whole fresh salmon filets which were done the night before. This time we take about a minute to decide: salmon, corn, teardrop yellow tomatoes, red and green hot peppers, white wine, thyme, pepper corns, tarragon, basil, shallots, capellini [angel hair] pasta, vinegar, eggs, butter. It gets listed out-loud just like that, drawing from what we have, what’s in the garden and what they brought. This is an interesting experience. Everyone is imagining the possible flavor combinations as we talk. Then, we agree. Luke reminds me that they do exactly the same in the restaurant when they are inventing new recipes.

Now, we just need to put the right things together. Nothing moves slowly. Christina is hopping around shooting. I need to shoot a bit too, since there is so much cooking action.

The salmon will be skinned, portioned and poached slowly in white wine, shallots, thyme sprigs, water and black pepper corns.

We will make a sautéed succotash of the fresh corn kernels, shallots, basil, whole, pan-roasted yellow tomatoes, and thinly-sliced red and green peppers served over capellini.

A classic Bearnaise sauce will finish the salmon, to be presented on top of the capellini. BTW: Bearnaise is technically a “finishing sauce” which is served warm on the protein at the last minute. Learn something new every day.

Thanks Luke and Chris for another awesome meal.

Poached Salmon with Bearnaise Sauce

Recipe type: Mains

Author: Luke, Chris & Jim

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Salmon

• 4 pieces, 4- to 6-ounce each, skinned salmon filet. 1” thick pieces are ideal. DO NOT season the fish

Poaching Liquid

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups white wine
• 4 to 6 black pepper corns
• 1 shallot, pealed and quartered
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt to taste, Start with 2 Tbsp.

Bernaise Sauce

• (Note: this sauce contains partially cooked egg yolks)
• 2 egg yolks
• ¼ lb. sweet butter (not salted), clarified
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
• ½ to 1 tsp. tarragon vinegar

Succotash & Capellini

• 4 portions capellini pasta [angel hair]
• 12 to 16 yellow teardrop tomatoes, whole.
• 2 ears of fresh corn, kernels removed
• 1 large fresh shallot, chopped
• 5 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• 1 red and 1 green (Fresno or jalapeno) chili pepper, thinly-sliced with seeds.
• 2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Bernaise Sauce

1. To clarify butter, melt on low heat. Skim ALL white particles (butter fat) from surface and discard it.
2. Keep warm, but not hot
3. Whisk eggs in a bain-marie (a pot of very-slow-simmering water, with a bowl set in the top). Glass bowls are better, but too high a heat will crack the bowl. You can also buy one at a cooking supply store.
4. You will be emulsifying the butter into the whisked egg yolks. Emulsification works really well when everything is at the same temperature
5. Slowly add clarified butter, whisking all the time. Do not stop whisking. If it gets too warm, pull the bowl off and continue whisking. If it gets too thick, add a bit of water.
6. The sauce is done when all the butter is gone and there is no floating fat.
7. Add chopped tarragon and vinegar at the last minute.
8. Take off heat but keep warm, about 90 degrees. Placing the bowl in the middle of the stove, off any burners, will work well for this. Higher temps will cook the eggs and break the sauce. The sauce is not supposed to be “hot.” It is a finishing sauce, to be added to the dish right before serving.

Succotash & Capellini

1. Heat 6 quarts of well-salted water for capellini. Cook according to instructions, finishing when saute work is done. Drain and hold for serving.
2. Heat small saute pan on medium-high and add grapeseed oil when hot
3. Saute shallot for 2 minutes until they begin to soften.
4. Add corn. Cook another 2 minutes
5. Add sliced peppers. Cook another 2 minutes. Remove from pan.
6. Saute whole tomatoes in same pan for 2 minutes, or until they begin to turn brown a bit.
7. Serve capellini, top with succotash and sauteed tomatoes.

Poaching Salmon

1. Bring poaching liquid to a simmer, then drop to between 170- to190-degrees. DO NOT let it boil or simmer. This is a slow poach.
2. Make sure fish is submerged during cooking. If not, flip once during cooking using forks or a fish spatula
3. Cooking should take about 12- to 15-minutes
4. Remove salmon pieces carefully when done. Pat dry.
5. Serve on top of capellini, succotash and tomatoes.
6. Finish with Bearnaise on the salmon
7. Enjoy!

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