Salmon Confit

TASTIER

GLUTEN-FREE

Makes 8 servings

This is undoubtedly an extravagant dish, made with lots of olive oil (that you can’t use again). It could be the best Mother’s Day treat ever—or maybe the perfect thing as a first course for that big anniversary dinner you’ve been planning. The salmon becomes almost absurdly rich, ready to be turned into an unbelievable salmon salad with a little mayonnaise, minced red onion, and thinly sliced celery.

One 2-pound skin-on salmon fillet

At least 2 quarts olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1. Set the salmon fillet in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in enough oil to cover the salmon by ½ inch.

2. Lift the (still raw) fillet out of the oil, letting any excess oil drain back into the cooker. Set the fillet, skin side down, on a large lipped baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you complete the next step.

3. Stir the garlic, lemon zest, and thyme into the oil in the cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.

4. Slip the (cold) fillet, skin side down, into the oil. Cover and cook on low for 2½ hours or until the thickest part of the fillet flakes when pricked with a fork. Use a wide spatula (or two!) to lift the fillet from the oil and onto a serving platter—or into a large baking dish which you can cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Test Kitchen Notes

• This dish does not call for the lean, wild-caught, West coast salmon. It’s better with fatty, Atlantic salmon.

• The skin is left on to flavor the confit. It also helps hold the salmon fillet together after it’s cooked.

• You’ll need to lift the salmon fillet out of the oil before it’s cooked. It’s a messy task but you need to have the fish in the slow cooker to determine the right amount of oil—then you’ll infuse that oil with the aromatics for 2 hours on low before putting the salmon back into the cooker.

• Double the garlic for a more flavorful confit.

image To serve, make a simple aioli for the salmon and serve it like cold poached salmon on a platter surrounded by salad greens. The fastest aioli is made with an immersion blender: Crack a large egg into a 1-quart measuring cup. Add about 2 teaspoons minced garlic and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Pour about ¾ cup olive oil on top and let it settle. Set the blade end of the immersion blender at the bottom of the measuring cup, turn on the blender, and slowly start to lift it out, tilting the head this way and that, until the aioli is creamy. To make sure all the oil has blended, you’ll need to lift the immersion blender slowly to the top of the ingredient mixture before turning it off. Remove the blender and whisk in an additional ¼ cup olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Season with table salt and pepper to taste.