Monday, September 24, 2012

Lemongrass and Citrus poached salmon

This one was pretty good when I first made it. Leftovers aren't amazing, so try to make only as much as you'll eat in one day. I served this with an attempt at ginger rice (that didn't come out gingery at all) and steamed edamame.

Mats
1/2 lb salmon, cut into 2 fillets
3/4c chicken stock
1/4c Orange juice, no pulp
1/3c white wine
1/4c onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stalk lemongrass
1/4tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Chop the lemongrass. It's very tough, so I recommend first cutting it into sections about 3 inches long, then bisecting each section lengthwise. You want to make sure it's still in big pieces that will be easy to pick out later.
In a large, deep saucepan (or pot, actually) combine the chicken stock, orange juice, white wine, onion, garlic, lemongrass pieces, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and let boil for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove skin (if any) from the salmon fillets.
Reduce the heat on the poaching liquid to medium-low so it's just simmering.
Using a slotted spoon, gently lower the fish into the poaching liquid. It's OK if  the fish isn't completely covered by the poaching stock, you'll just need to flip it so it cooks evenly.
Let the fish sit in the poaching stock for 4 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time if the fish isn't submerged.
Using the slotted spoon, gently lift the fish out and put on plates.

That's it for the poaching part, but here's a bonus if you want a beautiful sauce for your fish!
Set a colander up over a small bowl.
Pour the poaching liquid through the colander into the bowl. This will strain out all the big chunks, like the onion and lemongrass.
Pour the contents of the bowl into a small saucepan.
Heat the liquid over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.
Boil the liquid for another 10-15 minutes until it begins to thicken.
In a mixing cup, combine 1 tsp cornstarch with 1/4c cold water.
Pour the cornstarch mixture into the boiling poaching liquid and stir.
Cook another 3 minutes, then use the sauce to top your fish and rice.

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