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1
Prepare poacher Pour the Court Bouillon into a fish poacher and set the poacher over two burners on the stove.
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2
Lower the rack so it rests on the vegetables (in the court bouillon), then lay salmon on rack (trim the tail if necessary to fit inside).
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3
Add enough cool water to cover the fish completely; or, if only a small bit of fish is showing, you can cover it with a piece of parchment paper (cut to fit inside poacher).
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4
Poach fish Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low.
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5
Check temperature with a candy thermometer and adjust heat so it is between 165 and 180F (very few bubbles will break the surface but there should be steam coming from the surface).
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6
Poach salmon, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain the proper temperature, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest section registers 130F (fish will continue cooking off heat).
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7
You can also test by inserting a knife into the flesh along the backbone; the flesh should still be slightly translucent and offer little resistance.
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8
The cooking time should be about 5 minutes per inch of thickness (once liquid has reached a simmer).
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9
Remove poacher from heat and allow it to cool until you no longer see any steam, about 1 hour.
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10
Lift the rack with the salmon from the poacher and set it over a large pan (or the sink) to allow the salmon to drain until just cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
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11
Prepare fish for serving Transfer salmon to a clean work surface.
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12
Use your fingers and a paring knife to pull and scrape off the skin from the top side of the fish.
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13
Use the back of the knife to scrape off any brown areas from the surface.
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14
Using two large spatulas, carefully slide the salmon onto a serving platter.
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15
At this point, the salmon can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
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16
Serve Slice the cucumber lengthwise into very thin strips.
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17
Arrange the strips diagonally across salmon, spacing them about 1 inch apart, and tuck the ends underneath so they appear to wrap around the fish.
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18
Garnish with watercress.
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19
Separate into pieces and serve sauce and lemon wedges on the side.
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20
The salmon is garnished with a mixture of watercress and Upland cress (a member of the mustard family with a sharp, spicy flavor), which are also used in the accompanying sauce.
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21
You can find Upland cress (also called English cress or garden cress) at farmers markets, or use all watercress instead.
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22
A poacher is just the right size and shape for cooking a large whole fish, such as the salmon in this recipe.
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23
For smaller whole fish, a roasting pan fitted with a wire rack can be used instead.
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24
To make the paper-thin strips of cucumber that appear to wrap around the fish, a mandoline is the best tool.
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25
A Japanese-style mandoline, such as Benriner, is inexpensive and sold at most kitchen supply shops.
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26
A vegetable peeler can be used instead, but it will not be able to produce the same uniform thickness as the mandoline.
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27
Peel and finely chop 1 English cucumber, then toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt and 1 tablespoon each Champagne vinegar and small (nonpareil) capers that have been rinsed and drained.
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28
Set aside for 5 minutes, then stir in 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup finely chopped cress (use half watercress and half Upland cress, if you can find it).
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29
Season with freshly ground pepper and more salt.
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30
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving.
