Olive Oil Poached Fish has an incredibly delicious, succulent texture. This recipe is made with salmon and it’s gorgeous! You’ll want to make it again and again!
I’ve been wine tasting, cheese tasting, chocolate tasting, and now I can add olive oil tasting to the list — thanks to Melissa’s Produce, Laura Bashar and Mary Platis.
Inspiration for Olive Oil Poached Fish
Melissa’s Produce hosted a lovely book signing luncheon for Laura Bashar and Mary Platis’ fantastic new book, Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil. I left the event inspired to cook with olive oil in new ways.
Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil
In their book, co-authors and award-winning food bloggers, Laura and Mary, take us from the history of olive oil, olive oil production and varieties, to cooking techniques and dozens of scrumptious recipes. The recipes are easy-to-follow and exquisitely photographed.
Laura’s food blog is Family Spice and Mary’s is California Greek Girl.
What’s in Olive Oil Poached Fish?
- extra virgin olive oil
- fish (I used salmon.)
- fresh herbs
- lemon
- salt, pepper
I’ve always been curious about poaching with olive oil and love that an entire chapter in Laura and Mary’s book is dedicated to it. This technique is so simple and creates an unbelievably delicious result.
How to Make Olive Oil Poached Fish
There are a few different ways to poach fish in oil. Some start on the stove and finish in the oven. Some have you put the fish in already warmed oil, carefully monitoring its temperature. I’ve found this easy method works well every time.
– Skin the fish is it isn’t already skinned, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
– Place the fish fillets in a deep enough baking dish so that they can be in a single layer and covered with the oil.
– Pour just enough olive oil over the fish to barely cover it. 
– Place the baking dish in a preheated 225°F oven and poach only until the salmon is cooked through. (In this recipe for approximately 1½ inch thick salmon, about 20 minutes.)
More detailed instructions are below.
What to do With Leftover Oil From Poaching Fish
Keeping in mind it will have a subtle fishy taste and smell, you can reuse the oil from poaching the fish. You can use it in a vinaigrette or for cooking. Before you reuse the oil, bring the it to a low boil, cool it, and then strain any solids out. Kept in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, it should be good for about a week.
Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil is a very special book to have in your collection. I love it, and think you will too. You can order yours here.
I hope you enjoy cooking olive oil poached fish!
More delicious fish recipes:
- Saffron-Orange Whitefish
- Blackened Mexican Salmon Recipe
- Baked Cilantro Chimichurri Salmon
- Skillet Potatoes with Fish Puttanesca
Cookbook cover photo courtesy of Two Extra Virgins.
Olive Oil Poached Fish has an incredibly delicious, succulent texture. This recipe is made with salmon and it's gorgeous! You'll want to make it again and again!
- about 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
- a few sprigs fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
- 1¾ pound salmon fillet
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- fresh lemon juice
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Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 225°F and adjust a rack to the center.
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Prepare the salmon for poaching. Place the salmon in a baking dish that's approximately 9 x 13 x 2 inches -- one that will hold the fish in one layer. Pour in the oil, just to cover the fish. This may be a bit more or less than 2 cups. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a few sprigs of fresh herbs.
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Poach the salmon. Place the pan in the preheated 225°F oven and poach just until it's cooked through, about 16 minutes.
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Garnish and adjust the seasonings. Use a slotted spatula to remove the salmon from the oil and place it on a serving platter. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and herbs, and sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold.
Calorie count is an estimate only.
Laura @ Family Spice says
I’m so glad you liked the book and I love that we inspired you to try your own creation. That’s what it’s all about! Thank you, Valentina, for supporting us!
valentina says
Thank YOU, Laura. xo
Lizthechef says
These 2 virgins are writing group buddies – and their book totally ROCKS!! Your support is so appreciated, I am certain – it’s a terrific cookbook.
valentina says
Thanks, Liz. Agreed – such an awesome book! 🙂
David says
I have two questions, as I will be making this soon! First, how long did it take to get the oil to 180°F? And second, is there any other use for the oil once you have poached in it? (I hate to see good olive oil going to waste… 🙂
Mary Platis says
Thank you for reviewing our book and attending Melissa’s! Your post is beautiful and I enjoyed reading it – and to answer David. You can use the oil for a dressing or sauce for the item you poached, But, discard it after the day of cooking if using a meat,fish, or chicken.
A tip for poaching: use a ramekin in the middle of the pan to help eliminate using more olive oil.
valentina says
Thank YOU, Mary. I love that ramekin tip! 🙂
David says
I am very excited to try this and thank you, Mary, for the tip. I didn’t think the oil would have any further use but I inured it was worth asking!
valentina says
David, you can only use the oil again the same day — in a sauce, dressing, to sauté, etc. Then, sadly it should be tossed. As for the time to get to the temp to 180 . . . I’d say less than 10 min. (Though, unfortunately I didn’t time that part so I might be off.) I’ll check to see if the book might say. 🙂 And Mary answered this in a comment for you, too.