Poached salmon with lobster butter
12 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whole 7-8 lb. salmon | |
| Salt | ||
| ½ | Lemon (juice only) | |
| 1 | Green-black lobster brain OR | |
| 4 | tablespoons | Reduced lobster stock * |
| 6 | ounces | Butter |
Directions
FOR THE BUTTER
*Note: Lobster stock should be made from shells and heads, then heavily reduced to make 3-4 tablespoons.
Scale, gut and wipe the fish. Rub the inside cavity with salt. If you have a fish kettle, steam the salmon whole over boiling water for 30-35 minutes (making sure the water is kept topped up). Or wrap the fish in lightly oiled foil and bake it in the oven for an hour at 325 F (170 C) gas mark 3. Leave it to rest while you make the butter.
Warm the lemon juice in a small basin over a saucepan of simmering water. Beat in the nuggets of cold butter, adding more as each one melts. Do this gently - it can split if you overheat it (revive it with a quick splash of cold water). When you have an unctuous smooth sauce like thin cream, sieve and whisk in the green goo from the head of the lobster - which immediately turns the butter a wonderful orange-pink.
Serve the salmon when it is just cool but still sweet-flavoured and full of its own juices, with piping hot baked potatoes and warm lobster butter.
Source: Elisabeth Luard in "Country Living" (British), February 1989.
Typed for you by Karen Mintzias