sous vide salmon

(adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt)

Ingredients:

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin on (more square than long and skinny)

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sprigs of fresh dill, Italian parsley, thinly sliced shallot and lemon zest

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, if serving seared

Directions:

Season the salmon generously on all sides with salt and a few grinds of pepper. 

Place the salmon fillets in a single layer inside one or more sous vide or Ziplock bags. Add two teaspoons olive oil per fillet. Turn the salmon in the bag to coat well with the oil.

Add some gentle aromatics such as sprigs of parsley, dill, thinly sliced shallots, and/or grated lemon zest. Remove the air, seal the bag and let the salmon rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes for the salt to dry-brine the flesh.

Fill a large pot with water and set the temperature on your sous vide cooker to 117.5 degrees.

Add the salmon to the preheated water bath and cook for 30 to 45 minutes for one-inch filets, or 45 minutes to an hour for filets up to two inches thick.

For “cold poached” salmon. Plunge the sealed bag of salmon in an ice bath until the fish is completely chilled, then proceed. 

For seared salmon that will be served right away carefully remove the salmon from the bag using your hands or a fish spatula taking care not to break the filets. Place on a double layer of paper towels, then use another paper towel to gently blot the surface dry. Discard the aromatics.

For “poached” salmon remove the skin by gently peeling it off and scraping off any dark flesh with a paring knife. 

To sear leave the skin on, heat up a thin layer of oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add salmon skin side down, gently pressing on it with a fish. Sear until the skin is crisp, and browned, about a 1 1/2 minutes. Flip the salmon and sear briefly on the second side to give it a touch of color.

Transfer to paper towels to blot off excess oil, then serve immediately.

Serves 4