SERVES 3 TO 4 AS A MAIN COURSE, 6 TO 8 AS PART OF A MULTICOURSE MEAL
This is one of the most popular dishes we serve in the restaurant, and justifiably so! The combination of cool, perfectly poached fresh salmon, crunchy watercress sprigs, and tangy herbal vinaigrette is a knockout.
If taste weren’t enough, another beauty of this dish is that everything short of the final assembly can be done in advance.
Whereas most markets display salmon cut crosswise into steaks, see if you can instead purchase a small side of salmon.
There is, as far as I know, no better way to poach fish than this: Rather than dunking the fish into the hot liquid to cook—as is typical—the fish is arranged in a heatproof dish and the hot liquid is poured on top. As soon as a knife tip shows the fish to be cooked on the outside but still rosy at the core (the perfect way to eat salmon, in my opinion), the liquid is poured off and the fish is rushed to the refrigerator to cool. It’s foolproof.
COURT BOUILLON AND SALMON:
2 cups dry white wine
1 quart cold water
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon Szechwan peppercorns
1 serrano chili, tipped and halved lengthwise
5 quarter-size coins fresh ginger, smashed
2 to 3 whole scallions, trimmed, cut into finger-lengths, and smashed
1 thin stalk fresh lemongrass, chopped into rings
1½ to 2 pounds impeccably fresh, skinned and boned side(s) of salmon, cut into 1-inch squares
GINGER-BLACK BEAN VINAIGRETTE:
2 serrano chilis, tipped and halved
1½ teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
½ cup China Moon Pickled Ginger (page 8)
1½ teaspoons “goop” from China Moon Hot Chili Oil (page 10)
⅔ cup packed coriander leaves and stems
3 tablespoons juice from China Moon Pickled Ginger
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2½ teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup corn or peanut oil
½ small red onion, sliced paper-thin
2 to 3 bunches tender watercress, separated into sprigs, any thick stems removed
1 tablespoon finely minced Chinese black beans (do not rinse them)
1. Bring the court bouillon ingredients through the lemongrass to a boil in a large non-aluminum pot.
2. Arrange the salmon tiles in a single layer with space between them in one or more non-aluminum pans or heatproof baking dishes. If you have larger and smaller tiles, separate them into 2 dishes so you can time the cooking correctly. Pour the court bouillon on top to cover, then tightly cover the pan(s). Check after 1½ minutes; when the tile looks two-thirds cooked through when pierced with a small knife, drain the court bouillon at once and rush the fish, uncovered, into the refrigerator to cool. Perfectly cooked, it will still be rosy at the core after chilling.
The salmon may be poached up to a day in advance. Seal airtight once cool and serve at room temperature for best flavor. The court bouillon can be strained and refrigerated or frozen for use a second time.
3. To make the vinaigrette, combine the chilis, garlic, ginger, pickled ginger, “goop,” and coriander in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the machine running, slowly add the ginger juice, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Slowly add the corn oil and process until emulsified. Once made, the vinaigrette may be sealed and refrigerated for up to 8 hours. If you wish to make it a day ahead, leave out the coriander (which turns grayish) and buzz it in at the last minute.
4. Just before serving, toss the red onion in several tablespoons of the vinaigrette and let sit for several minutes to marinate. Toss the watercress separately in 1 to 2 tablespoons more vinaigrette; do not overdress. Make a pretty bed of the onion and about two-thirds of the watercress, then arrange the salmon tiles on top. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the vinaigrette onto each tile, then garnish sparingly with the chopped Chinese black beans. Place the remaining watercress sprigs jauntily amidst the tiles to make the plate look lively.
All fish, in my opinion, should be superbly fresh for use in our recipes, as well as others. Although you probably know this, I feel it never hurts to be reminded.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: For a perfect lunch, I’d nominate salmon tiles with any of our buns or cold noodles and/or most any of our soups, especially one of the hot and sour variety. As the first course in a dinner or more formal luncheon, the salmon might best be followed by something a bit pristine, like the Ma-La Steamed Poussin with Roasted Szechwan Pepper-Salt (page 153).
