Grandma Eileen was an honest cook. She could certainly do fancy if she wanted to; she once transformed an entire watermelon into a lattice of roses with a paring knife and a vivid imagination. But Eileen’s cooking was prized precisely because it was simple. She stuck with what she knew well, used few ingredients, and didn’t go in for gadgets. Cheese blintzes, lamb and meatloaf were all on Eileen’s greatest hits list, but the mere thought of her lettuce-poached salmon still makes my mouth water.
After years toying with poaching pots and tin foil, it’s a joy to return to this simple way of cooking fish. Iceberg lettuce leaves cover the entire salmon before going in the oven, creating a cocoon of moisture for an incredibly tender meal.
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lettuce-poached salmon
1 lb salmon filet (the fattier the better)
Iceberg lettuce
1 lemon, cut in thin slices
salt and pepper
directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Salt and pepper salmon filet and place on a sheet pan with sides to collect juices.
- Layer salmon with thin slices of lemon and cover fully with iceberg lettuce leaves. Bake until fish is opaque and reaches 145 degrees, about 10 minutes per inch.
TIME: 30 MINS. YIELDS 4 SERVINGS.
I just made this and it was delicious!! My whole family was OBSESSED. We ate it with green beans and parmesan right rice!
So glad you all enjoyed it!