Salmon is one of the classic Easter meals. Here the fish is poached simply, but it’s served with punchy rhubarb sauce and tarragon mayonnaise.
Prep time 20 minutes/Cook time 40 minutes/Serves 10 (+300 minutes cooling)
Ingredients:
1 x 2.5kg (5 1/3 lbs) whole salmon, gutted, scaled, from sustainable sources
1 onion
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
3 fresh bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
a few sprigs each of fresh flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, chervil and mint
For the Pickled Red Onions
2 small red onions
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
For the Rhubarb Sauce
5 sticks of forced rhubarb
1 small eating apple
2 tbsp runny honey
1 fresh bay leaf
3 whole cloves
1 splash of red wine vinegar
1 orange
For the Tarragon Mayonnaise
200g (7 oz) fresh tarragon
300ml (1 ¼ cups) oil (a mixture of olive and vegetable oils works best)
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp (heaped) Dijon mustard
1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ a lemon
Method:
To poach the salmon, place it in a fish kettle or a large roasting tin. Cover with cold water and place the fish kettle or tin over two hobs. Peel and coarsely chop the onion and carrots, and trim the celery, then place in the water with the salmon. Add the bay leaves and the black and pink peppercorns, then cover with a lid or tin foil and bring to the boil. Once boiling, switch off the heat and allow the water and salmon to cool – it’ll take around 5 hours.
To make the quick-pickled red onions, peel and finely slice them, using a mandolin if you have one (use the guard!), then place in a small bowl. Add the red wine vinegar and a pinch of sea salt, scrunch together, then set aside to allow the onions to lightly pickle.
For the rhubarb sauce, trim the rhubarb and peel and core the apple, then chop into 2cm (4/5 in) pieces. Place the rhubarb and apple in a pan with the honey, bay and whole cloves, add a splash of vinegar and the orange juice, then bring to the boil and turn down to medium. Cover and leave to cook for about 30 minutes, or until the rhubarb has softened. Add a little extra honey to sweeten, if needed. Leave to cool.
For the mayonnaise, first make a tarragon oil. Pick the tarragon leaves into a blender, add 100ml of oil and blitz to a paste. Add the rest of the oil and blitz again, then strain through a piece of muslin into a jug.
Combine the egg yolks in a mixing bowl with the mustard and whisk well. Very slowly drip the tarragon oil into the egg yolk, whilst whisking constantly all the time; when you’ve added half of the oil, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, then continue whisking in the oil (you might not need all of it). Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Carefully remove the salmon to a serving board and gently remove the skin. Break up the salmon flesh and arrange on a large platter, drizzling with a little oil, if you like.
Scatter the herb leaves over the onions and toss well to combine.
Serve the poached salmon with the pickled onions, rhubarb sauce and tarragon mayo on the side – delicious with boiled new potatoes.
