Poached Salmon with Cucumber Salad

History of Norway's First-Class Seafood

In the 12th century, Norwegian fish exporters started modestly by selling a few dried cod and herring to the English. They had no idea they had just begun a business that would eventually transform the whole country. Today, Norway is the second-largest seafood exporter in the world, and the equivalent of 37 million meals from Norwegian waters are consumed worldwide each day. 

Norway is known for wild nature, lots of space and deep fjords with cold, clean water. Perhaps unsurprisingly, catching and preparing top-quality fish has always been a big part of Norwegian culture. 

Traditional seafood meals include the famous smoked salmon, smoked trout and gravlax. Tørrfisk (stockfish) was Norway’s largest export for many years and is still a source of pride in the northern areas, especially Lofoten. Rakfisk (fermented trout) is another traditional dish for the brave, as is mølje—cod served with liver and roe—in northern Norway. Other kinds of seafood are more closely associated with the south of Norway, such as shrimp, crab and mussels.

Norway is one of Europe's most mountainous countries, making for incredible journeys by land or sea. And thanks to the variety of landscapes, natural phenomena, activities and ways to get around, Norway makes a fantastic destination year-round.

This poached salmon and cucumber salad recipe is a favorite dish of Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen. Try it for yourself at home and discover why Norwegians have loved it for generations.

Viking offers river and ocean cruise experiences and is introducing a new Mississippi River Cruise voyage in August of 2022.

Poached Salmon with Cucumber Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS
4 salmon fillets (around 6 ounces each)

For the cucumber salad:
1 cucumber
Salt
2 tablespoon sugar 
3 ½ ounces water 
8 ½ ounces rice wine vinegar

For the chive sauce:
1 pint heavy (double) cream 
2 ¾ ounces butter 
Salt and pepper 
1 tablespoon fresh chives

DIRECTIONS
Making the cucumber salad:
Peel the cucumber and slice into disks. Sprinkle the disks with salt and allow to marinate for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid. Mix the sugar, water and vinegar, pour over the sliced cucumber, and place in the fridge for half an hour. Drain and reserve.

Preparing the salmon:
Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, then turn down the heat and add the salmon fillets. Allow to poach for about 8 minutes, until just tender.

Making the chive sauce:
Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer until reduced by half. Whisk in the butter, then add the fresh chives and season to taste.

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