Why this recipe works Here’s an easy but elegant dinner, made entirely in a Dutch oven, to serve on any night of the week. The French term en cocotte simply means to bake something at a very low temperature in a covered vessel; in this recipe, the trapped moisture in the Dutch oven produces supremely tender salmon. Leeks and celery are often used as aromatic accessories when cooking fish, but here they play a prominent role as the main vegetables. After cooking the salmon on top of leeks, celery, thyme, and garlic in the covered pot, we removed the fish, added a healthy dose of white wine to the vegetables, and simmered the mixture until it had reduced slightly. We then whisked in some butter for richness. For uniform pieces of fish that cook at the same rate, we prefer to buy a whole center-cut fillet and cut it into individual fillets. If you can only find skin-on salmon, remove the skin before cooking or the dish will be greasy; you can have the fishmonger do this for you. If using wild salmon, which contains less fat than farmed salmon, cook the fillets until they register 120 degrees (for medium-rare).
SERVES: 4
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 (2-pound) skinless salmon fillet
- 1 to 1½ inches thick Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed
thoroughly 2 celery ribs, sliced thin - 2 oranges, 1 whole, 1 grated to yield
- 1 teaspoon zest and juiced to yield ½ cup juice
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Cut salmon crosswise into 4 fillets. Pat salmon dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add leeks, celery, orange zest, thyme, and pinch salt, cover, and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Off heat, lay salmon, skinned side down, on top of leeks. Place large sheet of foil over pot and press to seal, then cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until salmon flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 25 to 30
minutes. - Meanwhile, cut away peel and pith from whole orange. Holding fruit over bowl, use paring knife to slice between membranes to release segments.
- Transfer salmon to serving platter and tent with aluminum foil. Stir orange juice into leeks and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in butter until combined, then stir in orange segments. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over salmon and serve.
