Poached salmon with asparagus
It is so much easier to remove the skin from the salmon while it is still warm – otherwise it will stick firmly to the salmon.
Ingredients
- 1kg/2lb 4oz side of salmon
- small bunch dill
- 50ml/2fl oz dry white wine
- 1 lemon, juice only
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the garnish
- 20 asparagus tips
- 100g/3½oz cooked shelled brown shrimps
- pink radishes or pink micro herbs
For the dressing
- ½ banana shallot, finely diced
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 150ml/5fl oz light olive oil
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- bunch fresh dill, chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Lightly butter a large sheet of kitchen foil big enough to wrap the salmon.
Put a few sprigs of dill to one side of the foil. Season the foil and place the salmon on top, skin-side up. Pour over the white wine and lemon juice. Fold the foil over the fish to make a parcel, sealing the edges at the side.
Lift into a large roasting tin and bake for about 25 minutes, or until just cooked, pale pink and matte. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the skin and scrape off any grey fat.
To make the garnish, blanch the asparagus in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Cut into small pieces.
To make the dressing, mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a jug.
Using two fish slices, transfer the salmon onto a serving platter. Arrange the asparagus along the length of the fish, scatter the shrimps over the top and spoon over some of the dressing. Garnish with slices of radish or micro herbs.
Serve with the remaining dressing in a jug.
Recipe Tips
If you want to get ahead, the salmon can be poached up to 8 hours in advance, and the dressing can be made up to a week in advance. You can assemble the dish up to 3 hours before serving.