Poached Salmon with Béarnaise Sauce
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Chardonnay or other dry white wine, or more as needed
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, divided
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 4 large sprigs parsley, tied together with kitchen twine
- 4 salmon fillets, about 3/4-inch thick
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the wine, vinegar, shallots, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the tarragon and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In the jar or a blender, combine the vinegar mixture with the egg yolks. Blend on medium speed until the mixture lightens, 20 or 30 seconds. With the blender on the slowest setting, slowly add the butter through the lid insert, blending until the butter is fully incorporated. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of tarragon and, if the sauce is too thick, a little more wine and blend briefly. Add more salt to taste and set the blender jar with the béarnaise aside, covered, in a warm spot (near the stove top, for example).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the vegetable broth, parsley sprigs, and 1 cup of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the salmon and adjust the heat to maintain barely a simmer. Cover and cook until the salmon is barely cooked through, about 8 minutes.
- Use a slotted spatula to arrange the salmon on plates or a platter and top with some of the béarnaise sauce. Serve with any remaining béarnaise alongside.Copyright Jill Silverman Hough. All rights reserved. www.jillhough.com.
