My sister gave me this recipe years ago. She loves salmon as much as I do, and I was immediately intrigued by the beet relish, and the fact that the salmon is poached. I’ve only poached salmon in oil, not in liquid, so this technique was exciting for me to try.

To me, salmon is such a flavorful fish, that just about anything can be added to it, like chutney, an Asian sauce, a salsa, or pickled strawberries, and so much more!

Turns out, this recipe is really a gem. The spicy relish with the sweet beets works really well with the poached salmon, which has a mild flavor and is perfectly cooked. I wouldn’t change a thing!

If you don’t want to poach the salmon, just grill or bake it until slightly glistening, seasoned only with salt and pepper.

Poached Salmon with Beet Relish

Beets:
3 or 4 medium beets, about 1 1/2 pounds, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Coarse salt
Ground black pepper

Salmon:
2 carrots, peeled, quartered
1 stalk celery, quartered
1 small onion, peeled, quartered
2 fresh bay leaves
10 peppercorns
2 cups dry white wine
4 – 6 ounce salmon fillets

Relish:
1 Serrano chile pepper, seeded, minced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For the beets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place beets on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast until tender, about 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the salmon, combine the carrots, celery, onions, bay leaves, peppercorns and sine in a large, shallow saucepan. Add water to make 2” of liquid. Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to barely simmering and add the fillets. Cook until the flesh is firm but slightly moist in the center, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer the fillets to a plate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside.

Peel the beets and cut into 1/2” cubes. Place them in a small bowl and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Stir in the chile pepper mince, parsley, mustard seeds, and vinegar. Toss well to combine.

Serve the salmon slightly warm topped with the beet relish.

I made a creamy potato mash to go under the salmon, which also worked well with the beet relish.