Nothing says date night at home for me better than fresh fish. Except my wife doesn't like fish, and I'm terrified to ruin a big beautiful (expensive) cut of salmon. Sous vide cooking solves both these problems. The precision cooking method allows you to render the fat in a thick cut of salmon all the way through without risk of it drying out and becoming chalky. The result is the most buttery, moist, but still firm and slightly flaky salmon you've ever had. My wife and kids who groan at the mention of most fishy dishes are prone to song and dance when I come home with salmon now.
Ingredients
Salmon - as fresh as you can find
Fresh dill (or other aromatic herbs such as thyme if you prefer)
Olive oil
Lemon
Sea salt
Black Pepper
Directions
Start by removing the pin bones in the salmon filets if your butcher/fishmonger/old man by the sea haven't removed them already. Section the filet into large pieces - they need to fit in your sous vide or freezer bag, but they are going to be delicate coming out so you want them to be large enough to handle easily. Season liberally on all sides with salt and conservatively with black pepper.
Bag your filets and add enough olive oil to coat (don't drown them though). Add your fresh herb and a little lemon zest and seal the bag. Let stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while your sous vide bath heats to 120ºF. The salt on the fish is working its chemistry magic at this point to ensure that the fish can retain MAXIMUM MOISTURE.
Submerge and cook at 120ºF for 40 minutes to 1 hour depending on the thickness of the filets.
Remove from the bag CAREFULLY as the filets will be very delicate and pat dry with a paper towel. Heat olive oil in a cast iron or similar pan as hot as you can get it. Place the salmon skin side down and press gently down to ensure good contact. We are crisping this skin into an incredible, crispy texture and flavor gem. Even if you're normally anti-skin, please, please give this a try. Some patience is required here to reach Peak Cracklin Level (PCL) and you will see the fish start to change color on the bottom, but this is ok.
Remove from pan, and plate with roasted broccoli, asparagus, or veg of choice and a lemon wedge. Garnish with more of the fresh dill and serve immediately.