Poached Salmon Fast Healthy Salmon Recipe Wellplated Com

Poaching is a method of cooking in which food is submerged in a liquid (water, stock, milk, and wine are all popular) then cooked through gently.

Unlike Pan Seared Salmon or Baked Salmon in Foil, poaching uses a lower temperature.Poaching is ideal for foods that are prone to drying out, like eggs and poultry (I use poaching in my post for How to Cook Shredded Chicken).

Poaching sounds pinkies-up fancy, a description I now find amusing since I discovered how simple it is to make.

You can serve poached salmon for a dinner party and get a wow factor with less effort than you need for Salmon Wellington or Stuffed Salmon.It doesn’t leave any lingering smells in your kitchen, unlike other stovetop fish recipes like Blackened Salmon.It cooks FAST (we’re talking 3 to 5 minutes for a single fillet). You can make it for healthy weeknight dinners on busy evenings.Poaching is healthy. You don’t need any oil, and your salmon comes out nice and moist.

How to Make Poached Salmon

To poach salmon, you need little beyond a salmon fillet, water, salt, and pepper. Individual fillets will cook in as few as 3 minutes; a larger fillet will be ready in 15.

The best way to know if salmon is done cooking is to use an instant read thermometer like this.For an upgrade, I can’t recommend this thermometer enough (it’s dead accurate and fast, no need to estimate).Salmon is considered cooked at 145 degrees F. I remove mine at 135, then let it rest. The temperature will continue to rise as it sits.

When in doubt, check early. If you overcook poached salmon, it will taste dry. While you can make poached salmon in milk, I chose to use water for this simple recipe. I doctor my poaching liquid up with a little vinegar, honey, and lots of fresh dill. Feel free to experiment with other herbs and flavors like garlic cloves, onions, or leeks.

The Ingredients

Salmon. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein, salmon fillets are both healthy and delicious. I love using a poaching method for salmon because it makes it incredibly tender and moist.Water. The easiest, most convenient liquid for poaching salmon.

White Vinegar. For a little acidity in the poaching liquid. Honey. For a touch of sweetness to balance the acid. Salt. A few teaspoons salt helps give the poaching liquid (and salmon) flavor. Dill. With fresh, almost citrus-like flavor, dill is a delicious addition to this poached salmon.

Peppercorns. Whole peppercorns add subtle spice to the poaching liquid. Bay Leaf. Another subtle ingredient that completes this dish. The bay leaf imparts a freshness and lightness into the poaching liquid that you don’t want to skip. Lemon. Use lemon wedges or lemon slices to top off the finished dish.

The Directions

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate salmon in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge. To Reheat. Very gently rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave. Or, skip the reheating and enjoy the leftover salmon cold or at room temperature.

What to Serve with Poached Salmon

Roasted Vegetables. Roasted veggies are a delicious side dish for poached salmon. Try it with these Oven Roasted Vegetables or Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. Grilled Vegetables. Prefer grilled veggies instead? Give Grilled Broccoli, Grilled Asparagus, or Grilled Eggplant a try. Rice. Poached salmon with Lemon Rice would be scrumptious. Pasta. Pasta al Limone and poached salmon are a perfect match. Salad. Serve poached salmon with Arugula Salad.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Saute Pan. Perfect for making poached salmon.Instant Read Thermometer. My #1 choice for checking salmon for doneness. Fish Spatula. I love this spatula for fish, veggies, and more.

Grab a pan, we have a plan. Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe. It’s poached salmon time!