Poached Salmon with Fennel-Celery Salad and Caper Mayo

This recipe, adapted from Wine Style by Kate Leahy, is lovely for a summer evening. It’s laid-back and easy to make, but special enough to serve to friends. We particular appreciate the foolproof salmon-poaching technique — along with the fact that the recipe uses the fronds from the fennel; not many recipes do. If you only have a few fronds, use them in the mayo rather than in the poaching liquid. Leahy suggests pairing it with a Provençal rosé, which we did: a gorgeous match.

[Read: Kate Leahy’s ‘Wine Style’ is a delicious solo debut from a seasoned (and fascinating) cookbook pro]

For the salmon, if you buy one whole piece, cut it crosswise into four portions before poaching. Otherwise, as Leahy points out in a side-note, you can buy either 4 thinner portions (about 5 ounces each) or 2 thicker center-cut pieces (about 10 ounces each). The recipe calls for white wine in the poaching liquid. “An uncomplicated light and inexpensive white wine that you’d still want to drink is perfect,” writes Leahy. “If you happen to have an open bottle in the refrigerator, even better.”

Note: The recipe as published calls for just 1 pound of salmon; we upped it 4 ounces for four slightly more generous 5-ounce servings. We felt the 1 pound piece would serve three generously. If you’d like to use 1 pound instead of 1/4 pounds, no need to adjust any of the other ingredient amounts.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pound skin-on salmon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 fennel bulb, fronds separated and reserved (if available)

4 celery stalks

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1⁄2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped

2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 cup white wine

Instructions

1. Put the salmon on a plate 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking. Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt, then rub with 1 tablespoon of the oil, coating the pieces evenly. Let it sit at room temperature while you prepare the poaching liquid.

2. In a deep, wide pan, such as a 6-quart sauté pan or similar-size Dutch oven, combine 6 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt and the bay leaf. If you have more fennel fronds than you need for the mayo, add the extras — up to 2 cups loosely packed. Halve one of the celery stalks and add it to the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat and let sit until you’re ready to poach the salmon.

3. If necessary, peel the fennel bulb to remove any tough fibers, then cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise and cut out the core. Cut the bulb into thin slices lengthwise and put in a medium bowl. Thinly slice the remaining 3 celery stalks at an angle about the same thickness as the fennel and add them to the bowl with the fennel.

4. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss to combine. Spoon onto a serving plate.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, capers, green onions, and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Chop up about 2 tablespoons of the most feathery part of the fennel fronds and stir them into the mayonnaise.

6. To poach the salmon, add the wine to the pan and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Add the salmon pieces one by one and lower the heat to medium-low. Poach the salmon until it is cooked through when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 6 to 8 minutes.Very thick salmon pieces will still be pink in the center; if you prefer it more cooked, cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

7. Using a spatula or a large slotted spoon, gently lift out the salmon pieces and place on top of the celery and fennel. Grind pepper on top and serve with the caper mayo.