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Poached salmon garnished with lemon slice and dill, with a side of cucumber dill sauce

Poached Salmon Recipe with Cucumber Dill Sauce

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Pretty Poached Salmon with a flavorful Cucumber-Dill Sauce – the perfect make ahead entrée for a festive luncheon or dinner party.

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cooling and Refrigeration Time: 180 mins
  • Cook Time: 35 mins
  • Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

Cucumber-Dill Sauce

  • 2 large cucumbers
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh dill fronds (around 1 2/3-ounce package), chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Poached Salmon

  • 1 (3-pound) salmon fillet (see Variation)
  • 2 lemons, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 3 large bay leaves
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • Fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions

Cucumber Dill Sauce

  1. Peel, seed and grate the cucumbers. Place in a dish cloth, roll up and squeeze/ring out as much moisture as possible. Set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and lemon juice. Stir in chopped dill and chives. Remove grated cucumber from cloth and stir into mayonnaise mixture, along with the salt and pepper.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Poached Salmon

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cut a piece of cheesecloth large enough to wrap the salmon completely. Line a glass baking dish large enough to hold the salmon in one layer with the cheesecloth. Lay salmon fillet(s) on cheesecloth.
  3. Spread lemon slices over top of salmon. Top with sliced onions. Scatter peppercorns over the top. Place bay leaves evenly on top. Fold over cheesecloth to cover completely and tuck in sides. Pour wine over the top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the fillet reaches around 125 to 130 degrees.
  4. Using two large flat spatulas, carefully remove fish from pan and place on a cutting board to cool (takes around 30 minutes). Once cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 2 days.
  5. When ready to serve, remove cheesecloth, bay leaves, onions and peppercorns. Carefully remove lemon slices and set aside. With a damp paper towel, gently wipe off any white residue on top of salmon. (It’s coagulated protein and it’s fine to eat, it just doesn’t look pretty!) Using two large flat spatulas, move salmon to a serving platter.
  6. Wipe any white residue off of lemon slices; arrange decoratively on top of cooked salmon (see photo). Garnish with fresh dill. Place cucumber sauce in a bowl and serve on the side.

Notes

Variation: Instead of one large fillet, substitute 6 to 8 individual fillets. Reduce cooking time to 15 to 20 minutes.

Make ahead: Cucumber sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Salmon can be poached up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated – but it’s best served within 12 hours of poaching.

  • Author: Lee Clayton Roper
  • Category: Fish, make ahead