I must admit that I do not watch many cooking shows on TV, but I do watch MasterChef. I don’t particularly like reality shows, but I have actually learnt a couple of things from it. Remember when I tried my hands at making Hot Tea Smoked Salmon? MasterChef had inspired me to give it a go. And the same thing happened with this Salmon Confit. Today’s recipe is very easy to make, but it is a bit more technical than my usual recipes and it requires a vacuum sealer. In MasterChef, they also use a Sous-Vide Machine, but as I do not have one, I used a normal pot and a thermometer. It still worked, but obviously a Sous-Vide Machine would make it easier to keep the temperature constantly under control. Also, you could make this without a vacuum sealer, but you would need much more oil (you would have to cover the salmon fillets in oil and put the pan on the fire – no water needed)… Oil that you would end up wasting. But what is a “confit”? It’s a French cooking technique, originally used to preserve food. Nowadays, it’s also used to simply slowcook in oil (or fat) at very low temperatures. This ensures that the final product preserves all its flavours and moisture, cooking your fish (or meat) delicately and to perfection. Can you see how pink and tender this salmon fillet is? Just scroll down to the last photo and see how it falls apart when I cut it with a fork. It literally melts in your mouth. I was very surprised by how well it came out (and with almost no “cooking” on my part!) and by how light it was. It did not taste “greasy” at all! Serve it with some home-made Aioli and some wilted spinach for a sophisticated dinner or a special occasion! Bon appétit!
If you want to buy a Vacuum Sealer, this is a good one: FoodSaver V2244 Vacuum Sealing System
And this is a great Sous-Vide Machine: Sous Vide Supreme Water Oven, SVS10LS
Salmon Confit with Aioli
Salmon Confit with Aioli - an easy technique for a moist, tender and melt-in-your-mouth salmon!
Ingredients
- 4 x 160 gms – 5 ½ oz. salmon fillets
- 100 ml – 3 1/3 oz. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 pinches of salt
- Coarse salt
- Home-made Aioli
Instructions
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Put each salmon fillet in a vacuum sealable bag.
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Add 1 pinch of salt and ¼ of the extra virgin olive oil per bag and seal it with the vacuum sealer.
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When ready, gently remove it from the bag and drain it.
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Serve it warm with some home-made aioli, coarse salt and wilted spinach.
*In the spirit of full disclosure, this post contains some affiliate links, which means that I may get a commission if you decide to purchase anything from Amazon.com.
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