DINNER IN MINUTES
Poaching is secret to moist salmon
Posted on Thu, May. 29, 2008
By LINDA GASSENHEIMER
RONNA GRADUS / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Lemon dill sauce perks up moist poached salmon, served with a side of arugula pasta.
Salmon steaks are thick and juicy and a nice alternative to salmon fillets. The lemon dill sauce takes only minutes to mix together. Gentle poaching is a fail-safe method of cooking salmon -- it remains moist, juicy and flavorful. The secret to poaching salmon is to slightly undercook it. It will continue to cook in its own heat for a few minutes after it is removed from the poaching liquid.
Wild salmon is in season now. It's a wonderful treat. Buy extra and freeze it for when it is out of season. To test for doneness, insert a knife into the meat and pull the flesh away slightly. It should be opaque, not clear.
Arugula adds zing to salads. My Italian friends also like it cooked in pasta as it is in this side dish. This meal contains 552 calories per serving with 31 percent of calories from fat.
• Fred Tasker's wine suggestion: This is a red-wine-with-fish situation. I'd try a nice soft Beaujolais.
HELPFUL HINTS:
• Any type of pasta can be used. Cook according to package instructions.
• Salmon fillets can be used instead of salmon steaks.
• The quickest way to use fresh dill is to snip it with a scissors. Freeze-dried dill can used instead.
• Minced garlic can be found in the produce section of the supermarket.
COUNTDOWN:
• Place water on for pasta to boil.
• Poach salmon.
• Mix lemon dill sauce.
• Cook pasta and arugula.
SHOPPING LIST
To buy: 2 6-ounce wild salmon steaks, 1 small carton reduced-fat sour cream, 1 small bottle minced garlic, 1 small bottle capers, 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice, 1 lemon, 1 small bunch dill, 1 bunch arugula and 1 small package fresh fettuccine.
Staples: Olive oil, salt and peppercorns.
Linda Gassenheimer's latest book is The Portion Plan: How to Eat the Foods You Love and Still Lose Weight. Her website is dinnerinminutes.com.
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