by Geila Bernstein

For a large holiday crowd, poached fish fillets with dill sauce is an easy, elegant alternative to gefilte fish. It holds up very well at a buffet and makes a nice lunch entree. Sometimes I like to offer Salade Nicoise two ways—with seared tuna or poached salmon. Cooks note: Wild salmon, which is the most expensive variety, is not the best for poaching. The fattier the fish—Norwegian and farm-raised salmon, for example—the juicier it will turn out.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet cut into 3-ounce pieces
1 1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups water
8 peppercorns whole
Large handful of dill
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. In a 12-inch skillet, add all ingredients except fish and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to lowest possible and place fish in water, skin side down.
3. Keep it on a low flame with minimal bubbling otherwise the fish will fall apart.
4. Let fish sit for about 3 minutes. Turn one piece over with tongs and test by trying to remove the skin. If the skin peels off easily turn the rest and repeat with the remaining fish. If not, return skin side down for one more minute and try again.
5. Cook it on flip side for 3 minutes.
6. Turn off heat and let fish sit in liquid until the liquid is cool. When the liquid is cool, the fish is done.
7. Scrape off the brown line from the underside of the salmon before plating.

Serves 8 as an appetizer

Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

½ cup of mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
1 tablespoon white wine
1-2 tablespoons horseradish, depending on strength
1 teaspoon sharp mustard
¼ cup finely chopped dill
3 tablespoons chopped onion

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a mini-Cuisinart, blend, chill.

Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

2 egg yolkes (room temperature)
juice of 1/2 a lemon—not lemon juice from a bottle
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup canola oil
1/4- 1/2 cup olive oil (depending on how fruity or strong your olive oil is)
3 shakes of Tabasco
1 tablespoon boiling water in case mayo begins to break
1 clove mashed garlic—optional

Directions:

1. Beat egg yolks until light with a hand blender, regular blender or bowl and wire whisk. Add all remaining ingredients except water.
2. Beat in oil a few drops at a time at first until 1/3 of a cup has been incorporated. The emulsion goes into high gear and you can begin to add a few tablespoons at a time now, after a cup is in I pour a steady thin stream until the end. If you see pools of oil accumulating on top of your mayo you are pouring to quickly. Stop pouring and keep beating until the oil is emulsified. If your mayo is too thick, add the boiling water. Taste and adjust for seasoning.