This recipe was my first blog post over 3 years ago. It was also my first YouTube video (it’s hilarious), and my first TV cooking appearance. It’s a super special recipe! It’s one of those recipes that transports you back to a place, you know?

I decided to bring it back to life in a new post with a new picture (not taken on my iPhone 5) that truly does its justice!

Salmon that’s poached (cooked in liquid) retains its moisture and is my favorite way to serve salmon! The prep for this salmon is so cool. In a saucepan, I sauté some shallots, garlic, bacon, black currants, olive oil and a dash of sherry vinegar. It’s honestly so good that it’s hard to explain. The shallots soak up the sherry vinegar for a bit of tartness without being overpowering. It’s smoky from the bacon and sweet from the currants. All on a buttery, tender piece of salmon, there’s a reason why – years later – I’m bringing this dish back up to the top!

Note: I usually serve this dish with a side of simple sautéed spinach. Ingredients/steps included below!

 

 

 

Makes: for 2 people

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

The Ingredients

2 half-pound salmon fillets (totaling 1 pound)

½ cup dry white wine (optional to cook salmon; you can also use water or lemon juice and water!)

8 ounces (1/2 pound) applewood smoked bacon, sliced into thin ½ inch pieces

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cups celery, finely chopped

1 large shallot, minced

2 tablespoons black currants

1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, finely minced

Snipped chives, to garnish

Salt and pepper

For sautéed spinach:

1 package baby spinach

~2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of hot pepper flakes

Salt

 

 

 

The Steps

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For bacon: In a skillet over medium heat, sauté bacon until golden brown and lightly crispy. Place cooked bacon in a paper towel-lined bowl and set aside (the paper towel catches excess fat).

For salmon: In an 8×8 (or similar) glass pan, place salmon fillets skin-side down and add wine. You can also substitute the wine for the juice of a whole lemon or just omit both the wine and lemon. Then add cold water to the pan until fillets are just covered in water. Place uncovered pan into oven and let poach for 20-25 minutes for medium, testing salmon for doneness. Salmon should look slightly flakey and opaque when broken open slightly with a fork. Remove salmon from liquid as soon as fillets are cooked with a slotted spatula.

For vinaigrette: Add ¼ cup olive oil, shallots, and garlic to a small saucepan over medium heat. Sauté until shallots are translucent, about one minute. Add celery, currants, sherry wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until just warm. Turn heat off.

For sautéed spinach: In a large pot, add olive oil just to coat the bottom of the pot, hot pepper flakes, and garlic. Add spinach. Over medium heat, toss spinach until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.

To serve: To plate, use tongs to make a bed of spinach. Place salmon fillets on top of spinach beds. Spoon warm vinaigrette over the salmon. Garnish with bacon (optional) and snipped chives. Enjoy with a nice tall glass of sauvignon blanc or pinot noir! Both white and red wine are fantastic with this…in fact, try both (HA!).

 

 

 

The Steps with Video

I had to link this video. This is my first YouTube home video ever back in 2017! Just me and my video crew (AKA me and my laptop). OMG I’m so young. I’ve come far!

https://youtu.be/JSs1T1S3fuI