We discovered recipes for red meat, lamb, red meat, and chicken, cooking en cocotte_cooking a protein in a blanketed pot with little to no liquid_concentrates flavor. We were skeptical that the technique might effectively translate to fish. Fish cooks speedily; might the fish dry out inside the dry pot? However, we gave the approach a shot with fatty salmon fillets, and we were more than pleasantly surprised. By passing on searing the salmon fillets, we found that we got simply what we desired: perfectly cooked, moist salmon, basted in its jus, that flaked apart in large buttery chunks.
Leeks sautéed and then layered first inside the pot contributed their onion-like sweetness and guarded the fish against the warmth of the pan bottom. A brief sauce made with white wine and butter introduced a few more sizes and richness. To ensure uniform pieces of fish that prepare dinner at an equal price, we opt to buy a whole middle-reduce fillet and cut it into equally sized individual fillets ourselves. If buying character fillets, ensure they’re identical in length and thickness. If the fillets are thicker or thinner than 1 1/2 inches, you may need to regulate the cooking time slightly. If you discover the handiest skin-on fillets, take away the pores and skin earlier than cooking, or the sauce could be greasy.
SALMON EN COCOTTE WITH LEEKS AND WHITE WINE
Servings: four
Start to finish: 50 mins
1 (1 3/four- to 2 pounds) skinless salmon fillet, about 1 half an inch at the thickest part
2 tablespoons more virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced skinny, and washed thoroughly
2 sprigs sparkling thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and warmth oven to 250 F. Trim any whitish fat from the stomach of the fillet, then cut fish into 4 equal pieces. Pat salmon dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low warmth till shimmering. Add leeks, thyme, pinch salt, cover, and cook until softened, eight to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove pot from warmness.
Lay salmon, skinned side down, on top of leeks. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over the pot and cover tightly with a lid; transfer the pot to the oven. Cook until salmon is opaque and flakes apart while lightly prodded with a paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer fish to a serving platter and tent with foil. Stir wine into leeks in the pot and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, approximately 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter, and season with salt and pepper to flavor. Spoon sauce over salmon and serve.
Salmon en Cocotte with Celery and Orange
Add 2 thinly sliced celery ribs and 1 teaspoon minced orange zest in conjunction with the garlic in step 2. Substitute 1/2 cup orange juice for wine, and add 1 orange, peeled and segmented, while thickening the sauce. Nutrition records per serving: 450 energy; 228 calories from fats; 25 g fat (7 g saturated; zero g trans fats); 124 mg LDL cholesterol; 389 mg sodium; eight g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 40 g protein.
