Recipe: Poached Salmon with Lobster Butter

Title: Poached Salmon with Lobster Butter
Categories: Fish/sea
Yield: 12 servings

1 Whole 7-8 lb. salmon Salt

-------------------------------FOR THE BUTTER-------------------------------
1/2 Lemon (juice only) 4 tb Reduced lobster stock *
1 Green-black lobster brain OR 6 oz Butter

*Note: Lobster stock should be made from shells and heads, then heavily
reduced to make 3-4 tablespoons.

Scale, gut and wipe the fish. Rub the inside cavity with salt. If you
have a fish kettle, steam the salmon whole over boiling water for 30-35
minutes (making sure the water is kept topped up). Or wrap the fish in
lightly oiled foil and bake it in the oven for an hour at 325 F (170 C) gas
mark 3. Leave it to rest while you make the butter.

Warm the lemon juice in a small basin over a saucepan of simmering water.
Beat in the nuggets of cold butter, adding more as each one melts. Do this
gently - it can split if you overheat it (revive it with a quick splash of
cold water). When you have an unctuous smooth sauce like thin cream, sieve
and whisk in the green goo from the head of the lobster - which immediately
turns the butter a wonderful orange-pink.

Serve the salmon when it is just cool but still sweet-flavoured and full of
its own juices, with piping hot baked potatoes and warm lobster butter.

Source: Elisabeth Luard in "Country Living" (British), February 1989. Typed
for you by Karen Mintzias