Whole Salmon with Dill Sauce
Submitted by raru
Whole poached salmon served cold with cucumber scales and a creamy dill sauce. A stunning buffet centerpiece cooked in court bouillon.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minA whole salmon poached in court bouillon, chilled, skinned, deboned, then dressed with thin cucumber slices arranged like fish scales. This is a showstopper for a buffet or dinner party, and the technique is more approachable than it looks.
The timing rule is simple: 10 minutes per inch of thickness, starting from when the liquid hits a simmer. A metal skewer slid into the thickest part behind the gill tells you when it’s done. It should glide in without resistance.
Don’t worry if your fish needs to curve to fit the roasting pan. That bend actually works in your favor, giving the finished fish a natural, elegant shape on the platter.
Once chilled, peel off the skin and scrape away any grey fat underneath to reveal clean, bright orange flesh. Removing the backbone before serving makes it easy for guests to help themselves without picking through bones.
The dill sauce is dead simple: sour cream, mayonnaise, grated onion, lemon juice, and plenty of fresh chopped dill. Tangy, herbal, and cool against the rich fish.
Kitchen Tips
- If you don’t have a fish poacher, a large roasting pan with a rack works just as well. The rack lets you lift the fish out without it falling apart.
- Chill the poached salmon wrapped, then unwrap and skin it cold. Warm salmon is fragile and tears easily.
- Arrange cucumber slices from tail to head, overlapping like scales. It takes a few minutes but transforms the presentation.
Variations
- Replace dill sauce with a classic green sauce made from parsley, capers, and cornichons.
- Serve alongside boiled new potatoes and a simple green salad for a Scandinavian-inspired spread.
- Garnish with edible flowers and fresh dill fronds for extra visual impact.
Ingredients
Directions
Poach the salmon: To time the poaching, measure the fish and allow 10 minutes for each inch of thickness; begin timing when the liquid starts to simmer.
To check for doneness, insert a metal skewer into the thick flesh behind the gill.
It should slide in easily.
A six-pound salmon needs either a fish poacher or a roasting pan fitted with a rack at the bottom for easy fish lifting.
I use a roaster.
It usually means the fish has been curved to fit in, and the benefit of this is that it retains this jaunty pose once cooked so it fits more easily onto a platter.
Chill it carefully, then unwrap it, and gently pull off the skin.
If the fat underneath the skin is gray, scrape it away with a knife to reveal the orange flesh.
Cut down the center of the fish to the backbone, and then ease one half of the fillet from the bones.
Gently pull off the flesh, then remove the backbone and replace the fish.
This way it is easier to serve at a buffet.
Peel and halve the cucumbers.
Scrape out the seeds, and then thinly slice them.
Arrange cucumber on top of the salmon in a pattern resembling fish scales.
Slice a lemon, and arrange around the fish.
Chill well.
For the sauce, combine the sour cream with the mayonnaise, and whisk until smooth.
Add the onion, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper.
Serves 10 to 12.
Comments
