Chilled Poached Salmon with Homemade Mayonnaise

One of the most perfect summer dishes and in my mind the most elegant, is a succulent Poached Salmon garnished with sliced lemon, cucumber, fresh dill and served with a heaping bowl of homemade mayonnaise. Ideal for the hot days of summer, the salmon can be poached and decorated first thing in the morning and served later in the day with buttery new potatoes, steamed french green beans and a colourful tomato and basil salad with mini bocconcini. Whether you're entertaining a crowd or making a simple Sunday lunch, there’s nothing more easy, healthy, and delicious than a moist and flaky coral pink Poached Salmon, and enjoyed with a chilled Rosé or Côtes de Provence, this recipe is a gem.

Poached Salmon with Homemade Mayonnaise

Serves 4

2-3 lb organic Salmon filet

1/2 onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/2 lemon, quartered

sea salt and cracked black pepper

Garnish:

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 Lebanese or English cucumber, thinly sliced

4-6 sprigs of fresh dill

Homemade Mayonnaise:

3 egg yolks, at room temperature

200 ml vegetable oil

100 ml light olive oil

1 tsp store-bought Mayonnaise

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Salt and fresh cracked black or white pepper 

Chopped chives, for garnish 

Whisk the mayonnaise and egg yolks in a small mixing bowl until combined. Pour both of the oils together in a cup and very slowly trickle them in a very slow thin stream over the egg yolks, whisking them constantly. Once the mayonnaise begins to thicken, the remaining oils can be added gradually until the mixture thickens and emulsifies. Then add the lemon juice and white wine wine vinegar, and season to taste with salt and fresh pepper. Cover and chill until ready to use. 

Place the salmon in a fish poacher or large roasting pan. Add enough cold water to cover the fish then add the onion, bay leaves, vinegar, lemon and a good pinch of salt and a little black pepper. Bring the pan to the boil on the stove and once it's boiling, turn off the heat and allow the fish to stand in the water until cool. Carefully remove the salmon and place onto a board. Carefully scrape off the skin and the white fatty albumin layer that often coagulates on the surface, and place on a large flat serving dish. Decorate with sliced lemon, cucumber and dill and serve with a bowl of hollandaise.