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Darne of Salmon
Salmon 1 onion (minced) 2 carrots (minced) 2 tablespoons minced parsley 2 tablespoon peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoon butter 1 pt. thin broth Drane of salmon is middle cut, there are but two and sometimes three from large fish. Lay in stewpan on bed of vegetables, dredge with salt and pour over this the broth. Dot with butter and cover with buttered paper. Bring quickly to a boil and simmer very gently for one hour. Place on a hot platter, remove the skin and serve with Hollandaise sauce. Serves six.
A classic braise à court-bouillon: a thick centre-cut salmon steak set on a bed of aromatics, barely covered with broth, and cooked under buttered paper. Everything about the method is sound except the timing.
- One hour is far too longA darne 2-3 inches thick is done when the centre reaches 125-130F, which takes roughly 20-30 minutes at a bare simmer. An hour will leave the flesh dry and separating into dry flakes with a curd of white albumin over the surface. Test at 18 minutes with an instant-read thermometer at the thickest point beside the bone.
- What a darne isA cross-cut steak from the thick middle of the fish, cut through the backbone, not a fillet. Ask for a centre-cut steak 2 to 2 1/2 inches thick; for six people that means about 3 lb, since the original names no weight.
- "Bring quickly to a boil"Better to bring the broth to a boil before it goes over the fish, then hold the pan at a bare shiver, around 170-180F with no visible bubbling. A hard boil risks splitting the steak along its muscle layers.
- Buttered paperThis is a cartouche: a round of parchment cut to the pan's diameter, buttered on the underside and laid directly on the fish. It keeps the exposed top moist without trapping enough steam to overcook. Parchment does the job; foil sits too heavily and reacts with an acidic broth.
- The peppercornsTwo tablespoons of whole peppercorns for a pint of broth is an implausible amount and reads as an error for teaspoons, or for a count such as a dozen. Six to eight peppercorns are ample, and they should be strained out or picked from the vegetables before serving.
- Thin brothA light fish or vegetable stock; a thin veal broth would also suit. Unsalted or low-sodium stock is right, since the recipe salts the fish separately; strain the pan liquid afterwards and it makes an excellent base for a velouté if you would rather not make hollandaise.
- Skin and boneLift the steak with two spatulas or a wide skimmer so it does not break, then peel the skin away while it is hot; it comes off more cleanly than when cold. The centre bone can usually be lifted out once the fish is on the platter.
- HollandaiseMake it while the fish braises and hold it warm off direct heat, no hotter than 140F. Once it has cooled and split it is difficult to bring back.