Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce

To Make Salmon

1. Make your court bouillon ahead of time-- you can make it up to a week in advance and store it in the refrigerator till ready to use (method appears below). When you are ready to poach the salmon, heat the court bouillon in a large saute pan with high sides till it is just below a boil, so the water is shivering with heat but not quite boiling.
2. Place salmon fillets 4 at a time in the poaching liquid and let them cook to desired doneness-- about 5 minutes for each 1/2 inch of thickness when measuring the thickest part of the fillets. Example-- for a 1-inch thick fillet, poach 10 minutes. This will cook it through to the center so there is no pink in the middle-- cut into one fillet to test for doneness. Salmon can be poached less well done (rare in the middle) if desired by cooking for 3-4 minutes per each 1/2 inch of thickness.
3. Remove poached fillets with a slotted spatula and place on a layer of paper towels to drain. Allow to cool to room temperature.While salmon is cooling, make the mousseline sauce (method appears below). Top each fillet with 3 tbsp of mousseline sauce. Garnish each plate with a few thin slices of English cucumber cut on the bias (diagonal) and a sprig of fresh dill, if desired.

To Make Mousseline Sauce

1. Mousseline sauce should be prepared just before serving the salmon-- it takes less than 10 minutes to make. Whip the heavy cream with an electric hand mixer till stiff peaks form. Set aside.Place egg yolks and lemon juice into a blender or food processor.
2. Cut the butter into pieces and place it in a small saucepan. Heat it over medium until it's melted, hot and foamy. Skim any foam from the surface of the butter.Cover the jar of the blender and blend the egg yolk mixture at top speed for 2 seconds. Uncover, still blending at top speed, and immediately start pouring the hot melted butter slowly in a very thin stream of droplets. (You may need to protect yourself from splatters with a towel.)
3. By the time two thirds of the butter has gone in, the sauce will be a thick cream. Discard the milky residue at the bottom of the pan.
4. Place the prepared hollandaise sauce into a small saucepan and turn heat to the lowest setting. Fold in the whipped cream until the sauce is smooth and light.Use the sauce within 10 minutes. Stir it every minute or two to keep it from developing a skin or deflating. Do not heat it too much-- it is best when served as close to room temperature as possible over the cool poached salmon.

To Make Court Bouillon

1. Bunch together the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Tie together with kitchen twine.In a 7-8 quart pot, combine herb bundle, water, vinegar, minced onions and carrots, and sea salt.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Let the court bouillon simmer for 50 minutes, skimming foam from the top twice during cooking.Add peppercorns to the court bouillon. Let it simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Carefully strain the court bouillon into another pot, 6 quarts or larger, through a wire mesh sieve. Gently press the vegetables that collect in the sieve aith a large spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.Use court bouillon immediately, or allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator. Court bouillon will keep up to 1 week covered in the refrigerator; it can also be frozen and defrosted for later use.
4. Use court bouillon to poach fish; Escoffier recommends this preparation particularly for salmon, trout, and shellfish. For our purposes, it makes the perfect poaching liquid for our Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce.