This Poaching Should be Illegal

So last night I endervered another Top Chef inspired adventure, only this time from the Top Chef Tour. One of the contestants, Ashley Merriman, made a Poached Salmon with a warm german potato salad (AMAZING). So my aunt decided, as we were preparing our weekly grocery list, that we should get a piece of salmon and try it.

Well this is easier said then done. I found this recipe from the NY Times and within the first few lines there is talk of obsessively regulating the temperature to make sure the salmon cooks perfectly. I am already intimidated. But I remember that I am awesome and proceed to rig my meat thermometer in the pan (I am not Martha guys, I only have one thermometer). Then I add the olive oil. This shouldn't be a big deal (the recipe calls for three cups of olive oil) as we have that huge tin of it at the bottom of the pantry. yeah, actually we don't and I panic. Well luckily Marilou had just bought some cheap olive oil (for food projects such as this) the other day and I literally had just enough.

And kids, it was so worth it. The fish was delicious and rich but not heavy. I served it with a quick Dijon Potato Salad:

Boil new potatoes (I did about 7 new red potatoes) for about 15 mins
in bowl, toss 1 tbsp white wine vinegar with 1 tbsp Dijon mustard.
Add potatoes. Toss.
Let cool slightly and toss again
Add 2 tbsp olive oil, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper.
Serve

All in all it was yet another successful Top-Chef-Adventure and I highly recommend you try it. Just make sure you have enough Olive Oil first.

Oh and in honor of my seeming inability to check my ingredients here is a Catherine Tate Sketch from the Catherine Tate show
(I in no way own this video, blah blah blah, limit liability blah blah)