2(8 to 10 ounce) filets salmon.(preferably with skin)
1tablespoonkosher salt
Instructions
Place the fish skin side down in a deep skillet with a lid. Add water to just cover the fish. Add the salt.
Cover the pot and bring to a rapid simmer over high heat. As soon as the water is bubbling, remove the pot from the heat (or turn off the heat if you have a gas stove), and let the salmon sit for 10 minutes. Lift the lid and check to see that it is cooked to your liking; it should be opaque throughout (no translucent parts in the center) and flake easily with a fork. You can replace the lid and let it sit in the hot liquid for a few more minutes if more well-done salmon is desired.
Remove the salmon from the pan with a slotted fish spatula, or a regular spatula is just fine. Remove the skin carefully if you plan to serve it warm. If not, you can remove the skin when the salmon has cooled to your serving temperature.
Place on a plate and either serve warm or cool to room temperature. Or, when the salmon has cooled a bit, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until completely cooled, then serve chilled. You can keep the poached salmon in the fridge for up to 2 days before serving.
Notes
This recipe gives directions for poaching two 8- to 10-ounce salmon filets, but the method for cooking more or fewer fish filets is largely the same. Add a few minutes to the prep if you are poaching a larger piece of fish.
Use a deep skillet with a lid, large enough to hold the fish with room for water to cover the filets. You will get the best results if you keep the fish in a single layer in the pan, so allow the amount of fish to dictate the size of the pan, and if you need to poach more salmon, do it in batches. Again, so little effort is required; this is not such a big deal.
Should you have a fish poaching pan, hooray! These are long, usually oval pans that are specially made for poaching large filets or whole fish. They usually come with a rack inside so that once the fish is cooked, you can remove it from the pan without it falling apart. They aren’t that expensive, but they do take up storage space; they're also not necessary to make perfectly poached fish.
Additional seasonings or aromatics can be added to the water, such as peppercorns, sprigs of fresh herbs (dill and tarragon are very nice), sliced carrots, onions, celery, and so on. You can also sub in a cup or so of dry white wine for some of the water.