…featuring a huge salmon of at least 2.5 kilogram (!) in the main role and some best potatoes as supporting actors. It’s a classic French drama because this fish will be poached in a court bouillon which makes it a very tricky guessing game whether it’s cooked or not cooked at all – or well-done and ruined – and there’s a lot of suspense involved, believe me.
Tell me how much time you need: big, tricky fish.
It’s a classic French dish, too. If you succeed, you’ll have a delicacy to serve. The back fillets of a good (and preferably wild) salmon are magnificent, luxurious food; accompanied by a home-made mayonnaise they’re an ode to bourgeoise cuisine , it’s a meal that pharmacy owners or civil servants had on Fridays back in the 1950s. Like them, you could (and should) invest some money in really excellent potatoes. Here in France you would go for some new potatoes from Noirmoutier, sort of a vegetarian caviar, see below.
Don't call them just potatoes: best fare from Noirmoutier.
For the mayonnaise use the best mustard you can find, Dijon style, add some good white wine vinegar and a mix of neutral and olive oil (the latter can bring a bitter tone when used as the only oil, so beware). Don’t be afraid! A mayonnaise is a very easy thing to do, just follow the instructions of the video posted here.
Once served, your big salmon plate will look like a looted palace in a civil war zone soon. And that’s a good sign! And it’s good food!
Fast food: this salmon turns eaters into looters.
Here’s an example of a mayonnaise video, there’s more on YouTube in almost any language. And don’t be sceptical: it’s no urban legend, it’s the truth. Use your zauberstab or mixer or whatever you have – and you’ll have a result only seconds later (although the guy exaggerates a bit! You’d need less mixing!)
