Salmon and Dill Sauce Recipe

If the idea of poached salmon does not appeal to you, you should know that the salmon is not poached in plain water but in a court bouillon, a flavorful white wine-lemon-peppercorn broth. Factor in salmon's perfect partner, Dill Sauce, and you'll crave "cold, boiled fish" every day.

Of course, "court bouillon" is not a term the philologists in my home could ignore, so it has been changed, with grins, to "castle broth."

2 cups dry white wine
2 cups water
3-4 lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
6 (6-8-ounce) skinless salmon filets or steaks, about 1 inch thick
Dill sprigs, for garnish

In a straight-sided, 2-inch skillet to fit the filets, add the wine, water, juice of 2 lemons, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes.

Place the salmon filets in the skillet. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. The salmon should still be a little opaque in the center. (Reduce the cooking time for thinner filets.)

Transfer the poached salmon filets to a platter. They will continue to cook until they cool. When room temperature, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or more.

To serve, transfer the filets to dinner plates and spoon Dill Sauce, below, across the top. Garnish with dill sprigs and serve with lemon wedges.

Dill Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill leaves (or 1 tablespoon dill weed)
1/4 cup minced onion or shallots
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, dill, onion and white pepper. Refrigerate and chill for several hours.

The Salmon with Dill Sauce recipe serves 6.


Related Links:

See Salmon and Dill Sauce in a dinner party menu

Foil Baked Salmon

Salmon Crepes

Make-aheads:

Simple syrup (for the sorbet) keeps for months in the refrigerator. The sorbet itself is best eaten within 2 days of preparation. Dill Sauce can be prepared up to a week in advance, but is best after 1 or 2 days.

Order of preparation:

This is a menu of recipes that not only can but must be made well ahead of time because they must be chilled. The beauty of that is that it allows plenty of unhurried time before dinner to get yourself and your table setting together.

If not the day before, then start the Simple Syrup and Mango Sorbet very early in the day.

Next, prepare the Dill Sauce and the filling for the Stuffed Tomatoes, so the flavors have a chance to blend.

Move on to the Poached Salmon; it must be cooked, cooled and then refrigerated for several hours.

The Irish Soda Bread can be prepared anytime before the meal; allow an hour and a half.

Stuff the cherry tomatoes within an hour of serving.

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