Poached Salmon with Pesto and Feta

Well folks, life is happening right along! As of late, we feel like we're constantly on the go, barely even having time to get home and enjoy a meal together each night! However, all the constant "going" isn't bad. This past weekend we spent a few days hiking and camping in Shenandoah National Park, which is happily re-opened after falling prey to the already-forgotten government shutdown. We had an awesome time camping with Will's parents and spending some time in the chilly fresh air will fall colors surrounding us. Certainly a nice change of pace from the last couple years in Florida where fall was not a real season and leaves didn't exactly change colors. Besides taking a little time to enjoy the season, Will has been crazy-busy being a rockstar in his grad program and I've mostly been busy planning the details of our Vermont honeymoon. Talk about a foodies dream! I can't wait to eat at all the wonderful looking places we'll be visiting during our time there. We may or may not also be staying at Vermont's culinary inn....who's surprised? But despite our shameful tendency to grab a bite on the way home or stick a frozen dinner in the microwave, we do have a backlog of recipes to share with you, beginning with this one.

This recipe is easily our new favorite way to cook salmon. The poaching technique is easy and seems like a surefire way to make it without having to keep a constant eye on the fish as it cooks. Plus, poaching seems to be a good way to avoid over or under cooking the salmon. And of course pesto makes every meal better, particularly when paired with a tarter cheese, like feta. The slight sweetness from the wine sauce, plus the salty flavor of pesto and the tart cheese, created a flavorful pungency in the mouth that really blended nicely. Our salmon filets were big enough to fill us up, when served over a little couscous. The couscous was also great to have on the plate because it absorbed any of the juice from the fish as well as the pesto that dripped off the sides of the filet. Thinking about this meal makes me salivate! A must for anyone who is looking for new seafood recipes.

Cooking Notes: Since this recipe was fairly straightforward, we pretty much followed it as is. The pesto didn't have a recipe, so Will relied on his normal pesto-making habits. However, there was no Parmesan, so he ended up making it with feta, which turned out really well!

Poached Salmon with Pesto and Feta (adapted from Can You Stay for Dinner; serves 2)
1 lb. salmon filet
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh basil pesto*
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Bring the chicken stock and wine to a gentle boil in a large Dutch oven. Add the salmon filet and lay the garlic slices evenly over the top to coat the fish. Cover with the lid and let the fish simmer in the hot stock for 7 minutes. It's done when the fish flakes when pressed with a fork. Remove the fish from the pan immediately, discard garlic, and spread evenly with pesto* while the fish is still hot. Sprinkle with feta and serve.

*Pesto: Mix basil, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, and feta cheese until a thick pesto forms. 

Recipe: Can You Stay for Dinner: Simplest Poached Salmon with Pesto and Feta