POACHED SALMON WITH DILL HOLLANDAISE

Dill Hollandaise

1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon water

1 lemon, juiced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmon

2 quarts (8 cups) cold water

12 black peppercorns, crushed

4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

3 small onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, washed and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 stems fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 pinch of dried thyme

1½ pounds Atlantic salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 pieces

1. For the dill hollandaise, melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. It will separate into three parts. On the bottom will be the milk solids, in the middle the clear clarified butter, and on the top the foamy milk solids. Carefully skim off the top foamy solids and discard.

2. Set a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water. Whisk the eggs and water together for 30 seconds, or until warm and slightly frothy. Remove the bowl and slowly whisk in the clarified butter, but not the milk solids at the bottom, to form a thick emulsion. After the butter has been beaten into the eggs, gradually add the lemon juice. Then add the dill and the salt and pepper to taste. Keep the sauce warm until ready to use.

3. For the salmon, place the peppercorns, carrots, onions, and celery along with the salt, vinegar, parsley, bay leaf, and thyme into a 10-quart pot, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until aromatic. Strain the liquid and discard the cooked vegetables. Bring the liquid (now called a court bouillon) to a boil in large sauté pan. The liquid should be several inches deep. Add the salmon and then reduce the heat so that the bouillon barely simmers. Cover the pan, and gently poach the salmon for about 6 minutes. Remove the salmon with a slotted spoon, and allow it to cool on a wire rack or serving dish.

4. Salmon can be served at room temperature or chilled. Accompany with the Dill Hollandaise.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS