Dishwasher Salmon & Piquant Dill Sauce

Are you looking for something special to make this holiday season? What if I told you we have the ultimate “wow” factor meal that can be prepped in advance, feed a crowd, doesn’t take up precious oven space, and still allows you to mingle at cocktails with your guests? Keep reading to learn how I was introduced by my husband (wow, so fun to say ‘husband! We have been married one month!) to cooking in the dishwasher:

Scott doesn’t cook. At least the Scott I know. He eats hummus and tortilla chips for dinner when left to his own devices. But like all things in his life, when he is determined to do something, he does it to perfection. So when my birthday rolled around, he told me he had a surprise for me…. he was going to cook dinner! He spent all afternoon in the kitchen. When I was finally allowed to come into the kitchen for cocktails, I watched as he wrapped salmon, my favorite, in tinfoil. Chatting away, I come to a halt in my words as I see him opening the dishwasher, and placing the salmon on the top shelf. As kindly as possible, I say to him, “I know you don’t cook that often, but you do know that’s not the oven, right?”. He smiles at me and says “of course”. He hits the ‘Normal Cycle’ button and continues on his way. I, on the other hand, am still sitting there speechless. An hour later, we ate the most delicious salmon. He nailed it! Like OMG, you have to go home tonight and make this dish.

Note: The Recipe is from Food Network. We just want to help spread the word on how amazing this preparation is!

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) Salmon Fillets
4 Tbls Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Peper
Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
Piquant Dill Sauce, Recipe Follows

Piquant Dill Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Leeks, white part only, finely chopped
1 Jalapeño Chile, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 1/2 Cups lightly packed Fresh Dill leaves
2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Pepper
1/4 Cup Sour Cream

*We recommend making the Dill Sauce in advance, up to a day-ahead, but be sure to mix in the sour cream just before serving.

Cut 2 (12-inch) square sheets of aluminum foil. Place 2 fillets side by side on each square and fold up the outer edges. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold and pinch the aluminum foil extra tightly to create a watertight seal around each pair of fillets. Make sure the packet is airtight by pressing down on it gently with your hand. If air escapes easily, rewrap.
Place foil packets on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run dishwasher for the entire “normal” cycle. When cycle is complete, take out salmon, discard foil, place 1 fillet on each plate, and spoon a generous serving of dill sauce overtop.
Piquant Dill Sauce:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a saute pan. Add the leek, jalapeno, and garlic and saute until the leeks are translucent but not brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the stock. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. (Adjust heat as required to maintain simmer.) The liquid should reduce by half. Remove from heat and let cool.
Transfer to a blender or food processor and add the dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth. Reserve and reheat just before serving. Stir in the sour cream at the last minute.