Poached Salmon Steaks With Yogurt Sauce
6 salmon steaks, about 175-225 g/6-8 oz each
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 celery stalk, finely sliced
1 bay leaf
2 parsley sprigs
1 x 5 cm/2 inch piece orange peel
12 white peppercorns, lightly crushed
300-450 in1/1/2-34 pint dry white wine
Sauce:
Ya teaspoon cornflour
300 nil/f/2 pint plain low-fat yogurt
finely ground sea salt
1/2. teaspoon coriander seeds, ground
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2. teaspoon dried dill
2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon arrowroot (optional)
fresh herbs, to garnish
Rinse any blood off the salmon steaks, and pat dry with kitchen paper.
To make a court bouillon, put the onion, celery, bay leaf, parsley, orange peel and peppercorns in a large pan. Make the wine up to 1.2 litres/2 pints with water and pour into the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes then set aside to cool.
While the stock is cooling, stabilize rise yogurt. Mix the corn flour with enough cold water to mike a smooth paste. Whisk the yogurt until quite smooth, then beat in die cornflour mixture and a pinch of salt. Stir well, and bring to the boil, stirring slowly and constantly, always in the same direction. When oust boiling, turn the heat as low as possible and shunter, uncovered (a lid would generate condensation, which would destroy the stabilization), for 10 minutes until the yogurt is thick and creamy. Take off the heat until ready to complete the sauce.
Arrange the fish steaks in a single layer in a large pan. Strain over the cooled stock, bring to the boil over a moderate heat, then simmer very gently for 5 to 6 minutes until the salmon is opaque and firm, taking care that it doesn't overcook. Transfer the steaks to a plate, cover and keep warm by standing over a pan of simmering water.
Strain the bouillon again into a clean pan and boil hard to reduce to about 150 ml/t/4 pint. Add the ground coriander, cinnamon, dill, 2 tablespoons orange juice and black pepper, then reduce
tile heat and stir in the yogurt. Let the sauce simmer until slightly thickened, then taste, adding nitre salt if necessary. If it seems a little thin (this will depend to a certain extent on the type of yogurt used), mix the arrowroot with a teaspoon of water and stir a hale into the sauce. Continue to stir for a few minutes inure, adding the remaining arrowroot paste if the sauce is still not thickening; it should be fairly light but not liquid, about the consistency of double cream. Acid the rest of the orange juice.
Pour the sauce over or around the steaks and serve immediately.
SERVES 6
