Salmon fillet with pistachio & verjuice vinaigrette

Poaching salmon in a French court-bouillon produces melt-in-the-mouth results worth your while and if you’re a fan of baking salmon, this poaching recipe might also win hearts.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

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episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

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Ingredients

• 4 x 160 g King salmon fillets (skin-on)
• 1 cup basil leaves, torn, to serve

For the pistachio and verjuice vinaigrette

• 120 ml pistachio oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 2 tsp finely chopped French tarragon
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 - 3 tbsp verjuice, to taste
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Salt and black pepper

For the court-bouillon

• 2-3 fennel exterior leaves, finely chopped
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 1 carrot, thickly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thickly sliced
• 3-4 black peppercorns
• 3-4 parsley stalks (flat-leaf or curly)
• 2-3 French tarragon sprigs
• 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• ½ cup (125 ml) verjuice
• 600 ml cold water
• 2 tsp salt

For the salad

• 2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
• 125 g pitted olives (Picholine)
• 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• Extra virgin olive oil, tarragon vinegar, for drizzling
• Salt and black pepper

Resting time: 5 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the pistachio and verjuice vinaigrette, combine the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more verjuice to taste, if you like. Set aside.
   
2. To make the court-bouillon, in a large saucepan, bring the ingredients to a boil (skimming any scum that rises to the surface and discarding). Simmer for 20 minutes, then use a fine mesh strainer to strain into a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, that will easily fit the salmon fillets in a single layer. Bring the court-bouillon to a rolling boil, lower the salmon fillets into the liquid in a single layer, cover and remove from the heat. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
   
3. To make the salad, combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil, a splash of tarragon vinegar and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, then toss lightly to combine
   
4. When ready to serve, gently remove the skin from the salmon and transfer to serving plates. Drizzle with the pistachio and verjuice vinaigrette and serve the salmon with the salad. Tear over the basil leaves and serve immediately.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Bon Appetit

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G