Today it's time for a delicious steamed salmon, accompanied by baby potatoes and broccoli. A very simple, complete and healthy plan, full of flavor, don't you think? The recipe is brought to us by Patri, author of Sabores y Momentos, and she makes it with the new WMF Vitalis pot, a great utensil for preparing tasty steamed dishes, and Patri gives you some tips to get the most out of it. Enjoy!
How wonderful, we're already on Easter break and, this year, with great weather! These days, when you feel like spending hours outdoors, resting and not getting too complicated in the kitchen with long preparations, healthy and simple recipes are the winners!
That's precisely why I bring you this no-fuss recipe, quick to prepare but not skimping on flavor, nutrition and health benefits. It's the steamed salmon recipe.
For making it I used my latest acquisition: I present the new WMF Vitalis pot, a deluxe helper that opens up a world of possibilities in steam cooking in a matter of minutes. Served freshly made with its side of vegetables and potatoes, these salmon fillets are my first recipe with it, and after trying it I assure you it won't be the only one!
In just 6 minutes you'll have a dinner ready to serve at the table — that's how long salmon takes to cook by steaming, because steam cooking isn't just for vegetables! It's an incredible technique: fast, healthy, preserves the food's properties, and above all enhances the natural flavors of the ingredients.
Nezumi ceramic plate from Tokyo Design Studio, Bérard olive wood cutting board, Pallarès carbon steel knife and Mediterránea glass.
Tips for cooking steamed salmon fillets
I'll explain how to prepare the salmon fillets to be cooked by steaming:
It's advisable to use a well-sharpened knife to remove the skin. For this, with the piece on the cutting board with the skin side down, we'll start from one lateral end and slide the knife blade along the skin to separate skin and flesh. Then we flip it and remove the entire area of the bloodline (that grayish part between the skin and the salmon flesh), because it has a very strong flavor that overshadows the true taste of the salmon.
Next we remove the bones with the help of some tweezers. For that we slide our fingers over the salmon back and where we feel bones, carefully lift the end a little and use the tweezers to gently pull them out.
Finally we cut the loins in half or into strips to taste. If the loins have a thicker and a thinner part, fold the thin part inward so the loin has a more uniform thickness and cooks evenly.
To add flavor to our loins, we're going to prepare a quick “broth” to use as the liquid base with which we'll steam the salmon. For this we'll put a glass of water to which we'll add the juice of one lemon, a splash of white wine (optional), a bay leaf, dried or fresh herbes de Provence (thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano..), a clove of garlic, salt and pepper. With the lid on we'll let it boil for about 10-15 minutes as this will allow the flavors to infuse and later permeate the salmon. Well, if you're in a hurry, just place the loins and go for it!
Don't forget to brush a little oil or nonstick spray on your basket so the fish doesn't stick to the bottom and is easy to remove once ready.
The minimum temperature to cook the salmon should be about 65ºC (ideally 80ºC) and we'll cook it for about 5-7 minutes depending on size. This is where the Vitalis pot brings a lot, since it has a built-in thermometer in the lid to monitor the temperature, and the lid is glass so you can see the progress of the food's cooking at all times.
WMF Vitalis steam cooking pot
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 350gr of fresh skinless salmon fillets
- ½ liter of water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 crushed clove of garlic
- 200ml of white wine (optional)
- A bunch of fresh thyme
- Juice of 1 lemon cut into quarters and the peels
- Salt and pepper
Garnish:
- A bunch of bimi per person
- 250gr of new baby potatoes
- Any other vegetables to taste
Preparation
- We begin by adding the water to the pot with the bay leaf, the wine (optional), the lemon juice, the peels, the fresh herbs, salt and pepper, and with the pot covered we let it come to a boil. Adjust the amount of liquid as needed so it doesn't touch the food in the basket.
- Spray or brush oil or nonstick spray on the steamer basket and place the potatoes in it, since they'll take longer to be ready — about 15-17 even 20 minutes depending on size. The potatoes should be cooked at about 85ºC (the pot lid thermometer lets you monitor the temperature).
- Cut the salmon fillet into two equal pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Once the first 8-9 minutes have passed, place the bimi and cover the pot again. Now we will reduce the heat a bit so the internal temperature of the pot stays at 75ºC and check that our pot still has enough liquid to keep cooking; if not, simply add another glass of water.
- When there are only the last 5-7 minutes left to finish, place the salmon loins which will be ready shortly.
- Serve hot freshly made, although it's just as tasty warm or even cold in a salad!
