Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce

Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce

For our Titanic dinner entree we chose a poached salmon with Mousseline sauce. The book says the following about the dish:

"The menu for the last dinner contains only one fish entry, but it is an unbeatable one: lightly poached Atlantic salmon topped with a rich Mousseline sauce and garnished with sliced cucumbers. A Mousseline sauce is simply a classic hollandaise to which some whipped cream has been added."

This is yet another posh dish for a very posh crowd. My Titanic crowd loved it.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
6 cups Basic Court Bouillon (see recipe below)
6 salmon fillets
30 very thin slices of English cucumber
6 sprigs fresh dill

Mousseline Sauce
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
3 tablespoons water
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup lightly whipped cream

Directions:
1. In large shallow pot, heat court bouillon until just below boiling point. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, gently place salmon into bouillon. Add water if needed to completely cover the fish. Poach fish for 3-5 minutes or until opaque on the outside and still coral-colored in the center.

2. Prepare the Mousseline sauce. Using a spoon, skim froth from the surface of the melted butter and discard. Allow butter to cool slightly.

3. On top of a double boiler or heatproof bowl, whisk water and egg yolks together with salt and pepper for 30 seconds or until pale yellow and frothy. Over barely simmering water, whisk mixture for 3 minutes or until it draws a ribbon for 5 seconds.

4. Remove pan from heat; whisk in warm butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce begins to thicken. Still whisking, pour remaining butter into sauce in a slow steady stream. Stir in lemon juice and dill. Allow the sauce to cool slightly. Gently fold in whipped cream. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Keep warm by setting over a pot of warm water.

5. Arrange poached salmon on warmed plates. Spoon sauce down center of each piece of fish so that the border of the flesh remains visible. Top each fish with 5 slices of cucumber and top the cucumber with more sauce.

Basic Court Bouillon

Ingredients:
7 cups water
1 carrot, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup parsley
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cup dry white wine

Directions:

1. In a large pot combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain. Keeps tightly covered in refrigerator, for up to a week.