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and delicate. Best of all, poached salmon is elegant and tasty, and it goes perfectly with a variety of sauces. It’s also better cold, as a leftover, than pan-fried or broiled salmon, and once you get the hang of poaching, you can add salmon-topped salads to your list of regular meals. This method works equally well with halibut or other similar firm-fleshed fish. Leftover poached salmon keeps for up to 3 days in a resealable plastic bag or an airtight container in the refrigerator.

1 lemon

Salt for the cooking water

A few thick slices of red or yellow onion

8 whole black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Two 8-ounce salmon fillets or steaks, ¾-to 1-inch thick

1. Cut the lemon in half lengthwise. Cut one of the halves into 4 thick slices and the other half into wedges. Set the wedges aside for serving.

2. Choose a skillet or pot that is large enough to hold the salmon in a single layer and deep enough that you’ll be able to cover the fish with water by about an inch. Fill the skillet about two-thirds full with cold water and set it on the stove over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, plus the lemon slices (giving them a squeeze as you drop them in), onion slices, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.

3. Meanwhile, line a plate with three layers of paper towels and place it near the stove.

4. Gently slide the salmon into the boiling water. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook at a gentle simmer for 8 minutes. To check for doneness, remove the salmon with a slotted spoon or slotted metal spatula and gently insert the tip of a small knife into the center. The fish should be opaque pink in the center, not translucent, and it should be firm to the touch. If it’s not quite ready, carefully slide it back into the water for another minute or so.

5. Use the slotted spoon or slotted metal spatula to remove the salmon from the water, and drain it briefly on the paper-towel-lined plate. Discard the poaching liquid and serve the salmon hot, at room temperature, or chilled, accompanied with the lemon wedges.

SHORTCUT “HOLLANDAISE”

Real hollandaise is a tricky concoction made by emulsifying butter, lemon juice, and egg yolks over heat. Mayonnaise makes a perfectly wonderful base for a much more practical version. For 4 to 5 servings, just combine ½ cup of your favorite mayo with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and ½ teaspoon dried (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh) tarragon. If you’d like some crunch, stir in a tablespoon of finely minced shallot. Serve this anywhere you’ve ever heard of serving hollandaise: over asparagus, on top of eggs Benedict (or just poached eggs), as a sauce for poached salmon or other fish, or as a dip for artichokes. It’s all good. This keeps in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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GET CREATIVE

Substitute white wine for up to 1 cup of the water in the poaching liquid to give the fish a little more flavor.

Serve with Classic Asparagus (Chapter 7: Sides), and dress both the fish and the vegetable with Shortcut "Hollandaise" (left).

Garnish with a sprinkling of capers, a few thin cucumber slices, and/or a sprig or two of fresh tarragon or dill.

Serve the salmon with a baked potato (Chapter 7: Sides) topped with sour cream or yogurt, and/or Braised Brussels Sprouts in Mustard Sauce (Chapter 7: Sides).

Flake the salmon and serve it warm, at room temperature, or cold over a green salad.

Mash any leftover poached salmon with a bit of mayonnaise and lemon juice to make a salmon salad, which you can use in a sandwich or as a salad topping.

Pile the warm poached salmon on a toasted French roll, with lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, and dabs of wasabi and mayonnaise.

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crispy pan-fried fish fillets

Makes 4 servings

Utter simplicity is the principle behind these classic crunchy-coated fish fillets. The process is surprisingly easy, once you set up the little assembly line of beaten egg and seasoned breadcrumbs. This fish cooks quickly and needs to go directly from the stove to the table without passing Go, so have