Poached Salmon Ballotine

Raw, oven roasted or grilled are not the only ways to enjoy salmon. There’s yet another way to cook it and that would be — poached.  This recipe comes from Chef Raymond Blanc’s show, How to Cook Well.

I was happy to enjoy it as part of a “salade niçoise” inspired lunch along with a glass of rosé from Provence.


5 oz fresh salmon fillet, preferably wild caught
Pinch of cayanne pepper
Pinch of kosher or sea salt
Pinch of white pepper
teaspoon or so of fresh dill

Bring a pot of water to a boil. if the fillet is a bit thick, butterfly and open it up as if it were a book.  Choose the best looking side and sprinkle with cayanne pepper, salt, white pepper and fresh dill.

Flip the fillet over on a piece of heat-proof plastic wrap and tightly roll up into a cylinder. Wrap the cylinder tightly with plastic wrap tying off the ends. 

Remove the pot of boiling water from the heat and place the wrapped cylinder of salmon.  Allow to poach off the heat for 6 minutes (depending on the thickness). Using tongs place to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Allow to cool and then slice into disks with a searated knife.