Salmon Fillets with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
The slow cooker brings out the succulent texture of salmon, a fish rich in good-for-you oils. These natural oils mean that a long, gentle cooking time makes the salmon surprisingly light and meltingly tender. An easy cucumber-yogurt mixture doubles as both a sauce and a salad, rounding out the meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) dry white wine
- 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh dill, plus 4 Tbs. (1/3 oz./10 g) coarsely chopped dill
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 salmon fillets, each about 5 oz. (155 g)
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) plain yogurt
- 1 Tbs. mayonnaise
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 Tbs. (1/3 oz./10 g) coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
Directions
In a slow cooker, stir together 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) water with the broth, wine, onion, dill sprigs, 1/2 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.
Uncover and add the salmon fillets (they can overlap). Re-cover and continue to cook on low until the fish is opaque throughout yet still firm, 45 to 60 minutes.
About 10 minutes before the salmon is ready, in a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, shallot, 3 Tbs. of the chopped dill, 3 Tbs. of the parsley and the cumin. Add the cucumber and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the salmon fillets to individual plates. Discard the braising liquid. Spoon the cucumber-yogurt salad over the salmon, dividing it evenly. Garnish with the remaining dill and parsley and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Quick Slow Cooking, by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen, 2014)