Poached salmon fillet with sauce verte and rocket and potatoes

Serves 4-6

1 small onion, peeled and halved 1 stick celery, halved 1 bay leaf, 1 large sprig parsley ½ tsp black peppercorns 1.7kg boned salmon fillet, sliced 6-7cm thick 2 kg agria potatoes, peeled, cut into 4cm

chunks

4 handfuls rocket leaves

3 cloves garlic crushed with 1 tsp flaky salt ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Lemon wedges for serving

1 Bring a large, wide pan of salted water to the boil and add the onion, celery, bay, parsley and add the peppercorns. Boil gently for 10 minutes then add the salmon (you can do this in 2 or 3 batches depending on the size of your pan, if necessary). Simmer 10 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked in the middle. (I stick a small knife in and have a look inside the biggest piece.)

2 Put the potatoes in a large pan of water. Bring to the boil and boil gently for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well and cover and keep hot.

3 Remove salmon from the pan and discard the remaining contents.

4 Place half the salmon on a warm serving plate. Keep warm. Refrigerate the remaining half for further use.

5 Uncover the hot potatoes and add the rocket leaves, garlic and salt and the olive oil. Mix well, crushing the potatoes slightly and allowing the rocket leaves to wilt. Taste and season.

6 Put half the potatoes in a warm serving bowl. Refrigerate the remaining half for further use.

7 Serve the salmon with the sauce verte (recipe right).

Sauce verte

130g (1 bag) baby spinach leaves 3 Tbsp dijon mustard

½ tsp finely chopped tarragon leaves

or large pinch dried tarragon 200ml sour cream

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Drop the spinach into a pan of boiling water, bring back to the boil and boil for 1 minute or until well wilted. Drain, run under cold water, squeeze dry in handfuls. Place in a small food processor or puree with a wand blender, or chop very finely. Place in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well, taste and season. Serve with the salmon.

Make the extra salmon and potatoes into salmon cakes

Put 2 beaten eggs in a mixing bowl and add 3 Tbsp flour and the other half of the potatoes, crushing them more. Crumble the salmon into the potato and egg mix.

Add a sliced spring onion, taste and season. Form into flattened cakes about 6cm in diameter and

2cm thick. Dust each side of each with flour. Heat the oven to 200C and line an ovenproof tray with baking paper. Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the cakes in batches. Don’t try to turn them until the underside is well browned. Place side by side on the tray, place in the oven for 15 minutes then serve with your favourite chutney and a salad.

At New World our fresh salmon is primarily NZ King Salmon from Stewart Island — it has a beautiful taste and texture and is rich in omega-3s. Our seafood comes in six days a week so it’s always fresh! Ask the fishmonger at the seafood counter at your local New World for your preferred fresh cut. David Jose, New World Seafood Expert