Sake Poached Pan Seared Salmon

Name: Sake Poached Pan Seared Salmon
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fillet portions; 1 lemon, sliced into rings; ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns; Pinch of salt; ¾ cup sake or white wine; 1 tablespoon butter; 6 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 tablespoon cooking oil; Salt and pepper to taste

Poaching is a technique that infuses salmon with flavor and depth that isn’t achieved with other cooking methods. What’s lacking is that delicious browning you get from pan searing salmon. We’ve married the two techniques to get a flavorful sake salmon dish that also has the seared crust we crave!
Sake Poached Pan Seared Salmon

Ingredients

2 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fillet portions
1 lemon, sliced into rings
½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
Pinch of salt
¾ cup sake or white wine
1 tablespoon butter
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook time: 10 minutes

Instructions

Fill a flat sided pan with ½” of water. Add the lemon slices, peppercorns, salt, sake, butter and thyme. Cover and bring to a simmer.
Gently place the salmon fillets skin-side down into the pan. Cover, turn down heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Set salmon on a plate and gently pat with paper towels.
Add oil to a heavy bottomed pan and heat on high till shimmering. Using a fish turner, carefully place the fillets skin-side up into the pan. There may be splattering from the oil, so place a splatter guard on top and sear the salmon for 2 minutes or until the flesh measures 120-130 F.
Place salmon fillets on plates and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with lemon slices and a sprig of thyme.
Suggested side dish: cold Israeli couscous salad with lemon, tomato, cucumber, chèvre.