Cold Poached Salmon with Sauce Verte

Cold poached salmon with sauce verte is one of the great cold dishes of the classical French kitchen, codified by Escoffier and still served at grand tables from Paris to London. The sauce verte — a mayonnaise tinted and flavoured with a paste of blanched herbs — turns a vivid, deep green and provides both the visual drama and the flavour: the richness of egg-yolk emulsion cut by the clean bitterness of blanched spinach, watercress, tarragon, and parsley. David Tanis, who spent decades as a chef at Chez Panisse, brought his own version to A Platter of Figs, serving it as a centrepiece for summer gatherings — a whole salmon on a platter surrounded by watercress and cucumber, the sauce passed separately at the table.

Ingredients (serves 6–8)

Ingredient	Amount
Whole salmon, cleaned and scaled (or a 1.2 kg centre-cut fillet)	2 kg whole
Court-bouillon
Cold water	2 litres
Dry white wine	250 ml
White wine vinegar	2 tbsp
Carrot, sliced	1
Onion, sliced	1
Celery stalk	1
Bay leaves	2
Fresh thyme	3 sprigs
Black peppercorns	1 tsp
Salt	1 tbsp
To serve
Watercress or baby arugula	100 g
Cucumber, thinly sliced	1
Capers	2 tbsp
Lemon, thinly sliced	1
Sauce Verte	300 ml (full recipe)

Method

1. Prepare the court-bouillon: combine all court-bouillon ingredients in a fish kettle or large roasting pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes to develop flavour. Let it cool slightly.
2. If using a whole salmon: place the fish in the court-bouillon (it should be submerged or nearly so — if not, add water). If using a roasting pan, a double layer of foil across the fish helps keep it moist. The liquid should be at a gentle simmer — not boiling — when the fish goes in.
3. Bring back to a very gentle simmer (the water barely trembling) and cook for 10 minutes per kg, plus 10 minutes. For a 2 kg whole fish, this means about 30 minutes. The fish is done when the thickest part near the backbone reaches 52–55°C on an instant-read thermometer, or when the flesh just flakes when pressed.
4. Remove from heat. For cold salmon, allow the fish to cool completely in the court-bouillon — this finishes the cooking gently and keeps the flesh extremely moist. This can take 2–3 hours at room temperature. Then refrigerate in the liquid until fully cold.
5. Remove the salmon from the court-bouillon. If whole: peel away the skin (it comes off easily when cold) and, using a thin spatula, gently remove the dark grey flesh beneath the skin. This layer has a strong flavour and the presentation is cleaner without it. Carefully turn the fish over on a clean platter and repeat on the other side.
6. To serve: arrange the watercress or arugula around the salmon on the platter. Lay cucumber slices overlapping along the length of the fish. Scatter capers and lay lemon slices decoratively. Chill until 15 minutes before serving (fish should be cold but not fridge-cold when served).
7. Pass the sauce verte in a bowl alongside. Let guests spoon it generously over their portion.

Notes

• The court-bouillon cooling method is David Tanis’s key instruction: cooling the fish in the liquid prevents the flesh from tightening and produces the most silky texture. Do not rush this step.
• Sauce verte should be made a few hours ahead to allow the herb flavours to deepen in the mayonnaise base. It will hold for 2 days refrigerated.
• Escoffier’s version uses a whole large salmon as the centrepiece for cold buffets; Tanis’s version is for a smaller dinner party. The technique is identical.
• Accompaniments: small boiled new potatoes dressed in butter and parsley, or cucumber salad dressed in crème fraîche with dill, are the classic pairings.
• If a fish kettle is unavailable, use the widest roasting pan you own and cover tightly with foil. A centre-cut fillet poached skin-side up in a covered pan works perfectly for a smaller gathering.
• Wine: a white Burgundy (Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet), Chablis Premier Cru, or a crisp Alsatian Riesling.

Dressing: Sauce-Verte

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Salad-Dressings