Salmon with Chantrelles
Submitted by mrsslo
Salmon with chanterelles poaches salmon fillets in a white wine-shallot fish stock, then crowns them with butter-sauteed chanterelle mushrooms. An elegant French-style dinner in 30 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minSalmon with chanterelles is classic French bistro cooking stripped down to its essentials. Two hero ingredients, a handful of supporting players, and a technique that respects both. Chanterelles are the flavor driver here. Their apricot-floral, buttery-nutty character pairs naturally with the sweet richness of salmon better than almost any other mushroom.
The chanterelles cook first under a buttered parchment cartouche, a classic French move that forces them to steam in their own juices rather than brown dry in the pan. You get silky, tender mushrooms and a butter-mushroom liquor you’ll use as the poaching base for the fish.
Poaching salmon in fish stock, white wine, and shallots is the gentlest way to cook it. The liquid stays below a simmer so the protein doesn’t seize and the flesh stays tender and silky. 10 to 12 minutes is enough for a 6-ounce fillet; flip halfway so both sides pick up the aromatic liquid.
Reserve the pan juices. The recipe is clearly set up to build a classic beurre blanc or reduction sauce from what’s left (the “cover and keep warm” cue suggests a sauce finish), even though the final step isn’t written out. Reduce those juices by two-thirds and mount with cold butter for a glossy pan sauce.
Chef Tips
- Never boil the salmon. A hard boil breaks the flesh and leaves you with dry, grainy fish. Gentle simmer only.
- Clean chanterelles with a dry brush or barely-damp paper towel. Soaking them turns them watery and you lose their forest aroma.
- The cartouche trick (a round of buttered parchment pressed onto the mushrooms) is worth the extra 30 seconds. It’s what gives them their signature silky texture.
- Use homemade or good-quality fish stock if possible. Bottled clam juice diluted with water is a passable shortcut.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Add chantrelles. Cover with a buttered round of waxed paper and lid.
Cook 5 minutes until tender.
Remove chantrelles with a slotted spoon, reserving pan juices.
Set chantrelles aside.
Poached Salmon: Add salmon, stock, wine, and shallots to pan juices in skiller.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes until fish flakes in center of thickest part when tested with a fork.
Using 2 spatulas, carefully turn fish over halfway through cooking time.
Remove salmon with a slotted spatula, reserving pan juices.
Cover salmon and keep warm.
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