Braised Salmon with Green Beans
Highly nutritious salmon becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender after a short braise in a slow cooker. The haricots verts—slender green beans—are cooked just until tender and then tossed with shallot and fresh tarragon, providing a brightly flavored counterpoint to the meaty fish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
- 3 fresh tarragon sprigs plus 1 tsp. minced tarragon
- 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 6 salmon fillets, each about 5 oz.
- 1 lb. haricots verts or green beans, trimmed
- 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
Directions
In a slow cooker, stir together the water, stock, wine, onion, tarragon sprigs, the 1/2 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the salmon fillets (they can overlap), re-cover and cook for 1 hour more. The fish should be opaque throughout, firm and very tender.
About 10 minutes before the salmon is ready, bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and hold under cold running water until cool. Spread the beans on a kitchen towel to dry.
In a fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the shallot and sauté until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans and stir until hot throughout. Add the vinegar and minced tarragon and toss to mix.
Transfer the salmon to warmed individual plates. Discard the braising liquid or strain and reserve for another use. Arrange a mound of the green beans alongside each salmon fillet. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The New Slow Cooker, by Brigit Binns (Weldon Owen, 2010).