Butter poached salmon, sticky fennel jam

Serves: 2
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 45 mins
Ingredients
  • For the jam:
  • 1 large bulb of fennel
  • 300ml water
  • 2 strips of orange peel
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 1 star anise
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • For the salmon:
  • 250ml water
  • 30g butter
  • A few black peppercorns
  • Salt
  • A few sprigs of dill
  • 2 salmon fillets, 120g each approx, skinned and boned
  • Some creme fraiche and brown bread to serve

1 Trim the outside leaves and root from the fennel, then shred it as finely as you can.

2 Put into a pot with all the rest of the ingredients for the jam.

3 Bring to the boil, cover, then simmer gently for 15 minutes until the fennel has softened.

4 Remove the lid and allow the liquid to evaporate and become jammy, stirring occasionally over a low heat.

5 Remove from the heat and stir in the olive oil.

6 Keep in a jar in the fridge.

7 For the salmon: Put the water, butter, salt, peppercorns and a few dill stalks into a pot which will fit the salmon snugly.

8 Bring to a simmer and lower in the salmon, making sure it's immersed in the liquid. If not, just top up with a little more water.

9 Poach for six minutes, then remove the pot from the heat.

10 Allow to sit for three more minutes before serving on warm plates with the fennel jam, creme fraiche and brown bread. Garnish with the dill fronds.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford