Recipe: Olive Oil Poached Salmon with Tomatoes and Herbs

Poaching can feel intimidating, but it’s actually a quite simple cooking technique. Make this beautifully poached wild salmon in minutes to serve over whole wheat pasta and vegetables, all by itself, or even on a sandwich the next day.

Recipe adapted from Salt to Taste by Marco Canora.

Serves 2-3

  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary, stripped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 cups olive oil
  • 3/4 pound skin-on salmon fillet (I used wild Alaskan sockeye)*, seasoned on both sides with salt and pepper
  • 2 big handfuls cherry tomatoes

Place the herbs, garlic, and olive oil in a 10-1/2 inch nonstick skillet. Heat the oil to a very gentle bubble over medium-low heat (take its temperature if you can — it should be around 180 degrees). Slide in the salmon, cover, and cook gently on very low heat for about 4 minutes. Carefully add the tomatoes, cover again, and finish cooking until the fish is just opaque, about 10 minutes longer, keeping the heat as low as possible.

Serve immediately, drizzled with some of the poaching oil, or let the fish stand in the oil, uncovered and off heat, for about 10 minutes. After serving, cool any leftovers to room temperature, then store the salmon and olive oil together in the fridge.

*Or source salmon that’s listed as a “Best Choice” at seafoodwatch.org