{Easy} Coconut Orange Poached Salmon

From many years of professional and personal experience, it seems that fish is the protein that strikes the most fear in cooks. I know I am often intimidated to try anything outside of my normal bake or sear in pan method. I confess that I have royally screwed up many attempts at cooking fish.

Well, it's time to fear no more. Thanks to a recipe contest hosted by Vita Coco coconut water, I have figured out an EXTREMELY simple, fool-proof way to cook juicy, flavorful fish. FFP friends, it's time to learn to poach.

Let me back up a bit for some background. The Recipe Redux often hosts contest for us participants outside of our normal 21st-of-the-month challenge. (If you recall from the fall, I actually was a runner-up in the tofu contest with my Cocoa Cupcakes.) This time we are working with Vita Coco, a company I have worked with a couple of times before on my TV segments, and we are challenged to "Get Culinary with Coconut Water". The more I work with their coconut water, the more I like it.

Coconut water has gained a lot of value in the healthy eating world because it provides potassium naturally (in fact more per serving than a banana) as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and calcium. Many use it as an all-natural sports drinks. It's also low in calories at only 45 per serving in the unflavored form.

I've always had this hunch that coconut water would make a great cooking liquid for something. It seemed like it would infuse coconut flavor and the above mentioned electrolytes into a food. While I can't measure the electrolytes in this salmon dish, I can tell you that flavor is wonderful!

This dish took a total time of about 20 minutes to prepare and cook. You can use any white fish or even chicken as a substitute for the salmon. I found that the salmon flavor was minimized (as in less fishy) with the coconut-orange flavor. I used fennel bulb here and it worked really nicely. I don't really ever cook with fennel so I like the challenge of a new ingredient.

Give this easy fish dish a try and you will discover a great way to use coconut water too!

Coconut Orange Poached Salmon

4 cups (or 1 liter) Vita Coco unflavored coconut water

1 cup water

1/2 large orange, thinly sliced

1/2 fennel bulb, sliced into thin half moons

1 small yellow onion, sliced into thin strips

2-4 pieces of salmon (depending on the size of the crowd)

2 tablespoons fresh, chopped dill

Directions

In a deep, flat-sided skillet, pour in coconut water and water. Add fennel, onion, and orange slices. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook for 5 minutes.
Add salmon and gently submerge in cooking liquid. Return to a very gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes covered.
Plate slamon on top of veggies and orange slices. Garnish with fresh dill.

Disclosure: By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Vita Coco and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

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