Cold Salmon

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •20 to 24-inch (50 to 60 cm) stovetop-safe metal roasting pan or fish poacher that fits in the refrigerator
• •Heavy foil or clean cheesecloth for a lifting sling
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large sink or tub for an ice-water bath
• •Long chilled serving platter
• •Fish knife and wide fish slice

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cold path

   Before heating anything, confirm that the salmon lies flat in a long stovetop-safe metal roasting pan or fish poacher and that the same vessel fits in the refrigerator. Clear the shelf now. Fold a wide sheet of heavy foil or clean cheesecloth into a sling long enough to extend beyond both ends of the fish; this will let you lift the cooked salmon without breaking it. Prepare a sink or large tub with ice nearby, but do not fill it with water yet.

   The pan should hold the fish snugly. Every unnecessary inch around it demands more poaching liquor, and the liquid follows the vessel rather than the number of guests.
2. 2

   Start the whole poach

   Lay the salmon on its side over the sling, curving the tail gently only if necessary. Pour in enough thoroughly chilled Court-bouillon with Vinegar (No. 163) to cover the fish by about ½ inch (1 cm), reserving 1 cup (240 ml / 245 g) of the cold liquid. Let the belly cavity fill so no pocket of air keeps the fish afloat. Keeping the salmon whole is not presentation fuss; the uncut skin slows moisture loss from the flesh.

3. 3

   Poach below a simmer

   Set the pan across two low burners and warm it slowly, rotating the vessel occasionally if one end heats faster. Hold the liquid between 175 and 185°F (79 and 85°C), where it trembles and shows only an occasional lazy bubble. Never let it boil. Begin checking the salmon once the liquid reaches poaching temperature, inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest flesh just behind the head without touching the backbone. Turn off the heat at 140°F (60°C), then leave the fish submerged for 5 to 8 minutes and confirm that it reaches 145°F (63°C). If the liquid begins to boil, pull the pan off the burners immediately and add some reserved cold Court-bouillon with Vinegar (No. 163). Ça se rattrape: bring the temperature down, then continue over gentler heat.

   A hard boil knocks the skin about and tightens the outer flesh before the center is cooked. A bare tremble cooks the salmon evenly and leaves its silver vestment intact.
4. 4

   Cool in its liquor

   Take the pan directly to the prepared sink and surround it with ice water, keeping the outer water nearly level with the poaching liquor. Leave the salmon submerged. Stir the water outside the pan every 10 minutes and replace melted ice until the liquor falls to 70°F (21°C) or colder, which must happen within 2 hours. Cover the pan and refrigerate the fish in its liquor until both reach 40°F (4°C) or colder, usually another 3 hours and always within the next 4 hours. Do not leave this large fish cooling on the counter; the ice bath is the home kitchen's cold room.

5. 5

   Preserve the silver skin

   Use the sling to lift the fully chilled salmon onto a rack set over a rimmed tray, then let it drain in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Transfer it carefully to a chilled long platter and blot away surface moisture with a soft towel, pressing rather than rubbing. Keep the skin. If a patch catches on the sling, wet the cloth with a spoonful of cold poaching liquor and ease it free; if a small tear remains, ça se rattrape, place that side downward or shelter the spot with a few cucumber slices.

6. 6

   Arrange restrained garnish

   Cut two-thirds of the cucumber into thin rounds or half-moons and dice the remainder finely. Slice the tomatoes, if using. Arrange the cucumber and tomato close around the salmon rather than over its silver skin, then add the capers, anchovy fillets, chervil, and tarragon in loose, edible groups. If using the prepared Barquettes (No. 314), fill them just before serving with the diced cucumber, a few capers, and finely chopped anchovy, then place one near each portion. Stop while the fish still looks like fish.

7. 7

   Temper the Montpellier butter

   Take the Montpellier Butter (No. 153) from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving and work it briefly with a wooden spoon until cool, smooth, and easy to spoon. Present it in a chilled bowl beside the salmon rather than piping it over the skin. If beads of oil appear at the edge, chill the bowl for 5 minutes and beat the sauce smooth again. We don't apologize for butter, but we do serve it at the temperature where it behaves.

8. 8

   Carve at the table

   Bring the saumon froid from the refrigerator no more than 20 minutes before eating. With a fish knife or narrow slicing knife, cut the upper fillet into four broad portions down to the backbone and lift each away with a fish slice. Remove the backbone in one piece, then divide the lower fillet. Give every plate cucumber, capers, anchovy, herbs, and a generous spoonful of sauce alongside the moist coral flesh. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger for the smallest whole salmon that will generously feed four, with the gills removed but the head, tail, and skin left intact. Bright skin, firm flesh, and a clean marine smell matter especially in a cold preparation, where no hot sauce can disguise tired fish.
• •The amount of Court-bouillon with Vinegar (No. 163) depends on the vessel. Use a snug pan and keep one cold cup in reserve for temperature control; adding plain water would weaken the seasoning the referenced preparation was built to provide.
• •Use tomatoes only when they smell and taste of tomatoes. If the market offers pale, woolly specimens, omit them and rely on cucumber, capers, anchovy, chervil, and tarragon. An honest omission is better than a sad fresh ingredient.
• •Serve a dry, bright white wine with enough acidity for the cold fish and herb-rich Montpellier Butter (No. 153), such as a Loire Sauvignon Blanc or an unoaked Chablis. Keep the bottle chilled and let condensation on the glass announce the temperature.
• •Return leftovers to the refrigerator within 2 hours. Remove the flesh from the bones, cover it closely, and eat within 3 days; keep the sauce in its own covered container.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Court-bouillon with Vinegar (No. 163) up to 2 days ahead and chill it completely before the fish goes in. A cold start protects the outside of the salmon while the center warms gradually.
• •Prepare the Montpellier Butter (No. 153) a day ahead according to its own entry and keep it tightly covered and cold. Temper only the portion needed for service.
• •The salmon may be poached the day before. Once it is thoroughly cold, lift it from the liquor, drain it, cover it closely, and refrigerate; do not leave it in the vinegar-seasoned liquid overnight, which can firm the surface too much.
• •Prepared Barquettes (No. 314) may be held airtight until serving day. Fill them only at the last moment so the shells stay crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)