This is a wonderful recipe that I made for the first time about six months ago. The roasted asparagus is nice and poached salmon is always a treat but it's the tarragon sauce that really brings the whole thing together. It's a little mayo heavy but it would be a mistake to pass on it altogether. Here is the recipe (I can't remember where I found it so apologies to the creator).
Poached Salmon with Tarragon Sauce
Tarragon Sauce:
4 large bunches fresh tarragon (about 1 ounce total)
2 large bunches fresh chives (about 2/3 ounces)
2 large shallots
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups mayonnaise
2/3 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salmon:
5 cups dry white wine
5 cups water
1 (6-pound) skin-on salmon fillet
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound cooked sugar snap peas, diagonally cut into thirds, for garnish
Method:
Make the sauce: Pick enough tarragon leaves to measure 1 cup (do not pack). Chop enough chives to measure 2/3 cup. Coarsely chop shallot. In a food processor puree tarragon, chives, and shallot with remaining sauce ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper. (Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to cool room temperature before serving.) Make the salmon: Bring the wine and water to a simmer in a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Cut salmon into 12 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Submerge 3 salmon pieces, skin sides down, in simmering liquid (add hot water, if necessary, to just cover salmon) and poach at a bare simmer, covered, 8 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer cooked salmon with a slotted spatula to a platter to cool and poach remaining salmon in same manner. When salmon is cool enough to handle, peel off skin and if desired with a sharp knife scrape off any dark meat. Salmon may be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salmon to cool room temperature before serving.
When ready to serve, spoon sauce onto a large serving platter or divide among 12 plates and garnish with peas.
For the roasted asparagus, trim the asparagus where they snap, coat lightly in olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and roast at 400 F for about seven minutes (less if they are thin).
