Wild Salmon
Tea ingredient: Herbal tisane
By: Chef Hugh Acheson, Five & Ten Restaurant (adaptation)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 1/2 cups water
1 fresh thyme branch
1 lemon, cut in half and seeded
4 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves, dry (if fresh just use one)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon Orange Burst rooibos
1/2 tablespoon Masala Chai rooibos
4 six-ounce portions wild salmon
To taste use sea salt and ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large pot (large enough to comfortably fit your four portions of salmon without crowding) combine the wine, water, thyme, lemon, peppercorns and bay. Bring to a boil and reduce the total volume by a third. Lower heat to a simmer.
Note: poaching is not boiling. It’s cooking at a bare simmer.Add the butter and tea to the court bouillon and then simmer immediately or the tea will steep too much in the court bouillon.
Season each portion of salmon with sea salt and pepper.
Now it’s time to cook the salmon. Look at how thick your salmon portions are and then figure out your cooking time before you begin. I do six minutes per inch of thickness but I like my salmon a bit rarer than many palates.
Once you have a pretty good idea of how long it’s going to take, gently place the salmon portions into the court bouillon and poach away.
Remove and place each on a plate, topping each with about a tablespoon of the pickled cucumbers.
Note: I like to then squeeze a little lemon on each and circle each fish with a top-notch extra-virgin olive oil from
