Poached Salmon with Watercress Vichyssoise

This is a fantastic Summer main course. Delicately poached Salmon topped with Keta caviar served on a chilled Watercress Vichyssoise. Vichyssoise is a cold Summer soup made from leek and potato, the addition of watercress gives it a lovely fresh colour and peppery taste.

We first enjoyed this dish on a flaming hot August day sheltering in the shade of the Mulberry tree in our garden. We were drinking Nutbourne’s own Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. Bliss!

Ingredients For 4

For the Vichyssoise
2 Tablespoons Rapeseed Oil
I large Leek (300g), outer layer and root stump discarded, remainder chopped
200g Potato, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
300ml Water
80ml Milk
80ml Crème Fraiche
1 Lemon, juice and zest
80g Watercress, chopped

For the Salmon
4 x 120g pieces of Salmon
A few Fennel fronds
½ Onion, chopped
50g jar Keta caviar (Salmon roe)
Fennel Flowers

Method

• Put the oil into a heavy based pan over a low to moderate heat. Fry the leeks and potato for 5 minutes, season well with salt and pepper

• Add 300ml water to the pan, bring to the boil, simmer for 20 minutes.

• Allow the mixture to cool a little, then transfer to a food processor, blitz until smooth.

• Stir in the milk, crème fraiche, lemon and watercress. Transfer to a large jug, chill in the fridge.

• Put the Salmon in a shallow ovenproof dish. Arrange the fennel fronds and onion around, add water not quite covering the fish, season with salt and pepper, cover with foil

• Cook the salmon in a preheated oven at 180c for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow the fish to go cold in the cooking liquor. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

• Pour about 2cm of Vichyssoise into individual bowls, place a piece of salmon across, top with Keta caviar and fennel flowers