Poached Wild Salmon with Rosé Wine Sauce
This recipe offers layers of flavor in an incredibly simple salmon dish. Topped with a Rosé wine sauce, it's sophisticated and romantic. Serve it atop sauteed leeks, cauliflower puree or pureed potatoes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup rosé wine
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 4 sprigs tarragon (optional)*
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter
- 4 6-oz skinless wild salmon fillets (I use Alaskan King salmon when available)
- sea salt
To garnish:
- 1 tsp sliced tarragon or chives
- cracked black pepper and coarse salt
Instructions
- Combine the rosé wine, red wine vinegar, chopped shallot and tarragon (if using). Bring the wine to a boil and reduce the mixture to about 5 tablespoons.
- Set aside.
- To make the salmon, put about ½ cup of water in a large sauté pan (just enough to cover the surface).
- Season the water with salt and bring to simmer over medium heat.
- Season the salmon on both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Place the salmon in the pan; cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, until the top of the fish is just warm to the touch (about 5-7 minutes).
- While the salmon is cooking, finish the red wine butter sauce by whisking in the remaining butter 1 tablespoon at a time over low heat. Whisk until each tablespoon is fully emulsified before adding the next.
- Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper while continuing to whisk.
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve and keep warm.
- Remove the salmon from the pan and drain each fillet on a paper towel.
- Plate the salmon and sprinkle with either tarragon or chives, (see note). Sprinkle a line of ground black pepper and coarse salt over each fillet.
- Spoon sauce around and serve immediately.
Notes
*If you use tarragon in the sauce, garnish the final dish with tarragon. But if you’re skipping the tarragon in the sauce, garnish the filet with fresh chives.