Buttermilk-Poached Salmon

If you think salmon is difficult to prepare, you’ve probably never tried poaching it before. We’re here to change that.

Poaching is a gentle, hands-off cooking method that’s perfect for anyone who’s nervous about cooking fish at home. You simply bring a liquid to a simmer and cook your fish in it until opaque. The old-school technique is practically foolproof because the liquid never comes to a full boil, so your fish isn’t likely to overcook or dry out — even if it’s left in the poaching liquid for a bit too long.

While most recipes poach salmon in stock, broth, or water, we came up with a recipe that uses a rather unexpected ingredient to achieve a delicious and totally unique result.

Though you may associate it with pancakes and waffles, buttermilk is actually the perfect poaching liquid for salmon. Salmon loves bright acidic flavors, and buttermilk is full of sharp tang. This recipe cooks salmon in two parts buttermilk and one part vegetable stock, and calls on lemon slices, garlic, bay leaves, and shallots to infuse the poaching liquid with flavor without a ton of effort. (You don’t even have to chop the garlic or shallot.)

As the salmon cooks, the poaching liquid might curdle slightly — don’t be nervous if this happens. Once the fish is done cooking, you’ll reduce the poaching liquid, strain out any curdled bits, and serve it alongside the salmon for the easiest sauce ever. It’s bright, citrusy, and fresh.

While the salmon is delicious served all by itself, we also like to break it into large pieces and serve it on top of salads, cooked grains, or toasted bread. If you want to prepare it in advance, you can pack the sauce separately and add a few tablespoons to the salmon right before serving.