Poached Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce
Submitted by sundayschyld
Thick salmon steaks gently poached in an aromatic broth of peppercorns, lemon, and bay leaf, then topped with a rich, velvety homemade hollandaise sauce made from scratch with real butter and egg yolks.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThere’s something undeniably luxurious about a perfectly poached salmon steak draped in golden hollandaise, and this recipe delivers exactly that.
The salmon simmers gently in a court bouillon scented with peppercorns, lemon slices, parsley, and bay leaf until it flakes at the touch of a fork.
The hollandaise comes together on the stovetop with just three egg yolks, fresh lemon juice, and half a cup of real butter, slowly melted so the sauce thickens without curdling.
This is a classic French technique that’s well worth mastering for dinner parties or any night you want to treat yourself.
Pro Tips
- Use firm, cold butter and melt it slowly. Rushing the butter is what causes hollandaise to break
- Do NOT substitute margarine for butter in the hollandaise. It won’t emulsify properly
- The poaching liquid should barely simmer, never boil, or the salmon will turn tough
- Leftover hollandaise keeps covered in the fridge. Reheat by whisking in a splash of hot water
Ingredients
Directions
Servings: 4 *
Get four salmon steaks about 1 inch thick.
** DO NOT use margarine in this sauce!!
Prepare the Hollandaise Sauce.
Heat the water, salt, peppercorns, lemon slices, parsley, onion, and bay leaf to boiling, in a 12-inch skillet then reduce the heat.
Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
Place the salmon steaks in the skillet, adding water if necessary to cover the steaks.
Heat to boiling and then reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered 12 to 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Serve with the Hollandaise Sauce.
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE: Stir the egg yolks and lemon juice vigorously in a 1½-quart saucepan.
Add ¼ cup of the butter and stir over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted.
Add the remaining butter.
Continue stirring vigorously until the butter is melted and the sauce is thickened.
(Be sure the butter melts slowly as this gives the eggs time to cook and thicken the sauce without curdling.) Serve hot or at room temperature.
Cover and refrigerate any remaining sauce.
To serve again, stir in a small amount of hot water.
Comments
