Best of the Best, Day One: Poached Salmon

In honor of the Olympics, we’ll be sharing the keys to one of our gold-medal worthy recipes every day until the closing ceremonies on August 12th.
 

Poached salmon seems like the ideal stovetop recipe: It’s fast, splatter- and oil-free, and requires just one pot. But many people have tried—and failed—to use this method to produce irresistibly supple, flavorful fish. The problem is that immersing an entire side of salmon in a watered-down poaching liquid washes away its flavor and pours it down the drain.

WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE A WINNER

• We poached our salmon in a small amount of liquid for maximum flavor, and added a small dose of wine to lower its boiling point. This increased steam, which allowed for more gentle cooking.
• Instead of relying on a specialized fish poacher, which elevates the fish from the bottom of the pan, we found a much cheaper solution for evenly cooked fish: just set the fish on lemon slices, which insulated it from direct heat and prevented the bottom from overcooking.
• Since we were using such little liquid, we were only a short simmer away from a flavor-packed sauce.

Want to try it out for yourself? Here’s our recipe for Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinaigrette for free until August 12.