Mmm Mmm Monday: Lemon and Dill Salmon with Spinach

Today's recipe, Lemon and Dill Salmon with Spinach, comes from Stephanie O'Dea's A Year of Slow Cooking blog.

I have to admit that I was hesitant about putting a nice piece of fish in the slow cooker.  First, I think of fish as being more delicate and sensitive to cooking methods.  I find that the slow cooker, while it certainly cooks food, doesn't do so with much nuance.  Second, whether or not it's actually true, I still think of fish as expensive protein.  So I was hesitant to put it in the slow cooker, have it turn out badly and end up tossing it, which would have been wasteful.

Anyway, I was curious enough about this recipe to risk the fish...FOR SCIENCE!  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients (Note: This recipe serves 4.  I cut the recipe ingredients roughly in half to make 2 servings.):

• 1 12 oz. pkg. fresh spinach  (We finally seem to having some success with container gardening.  We have a nice batch of spinach out there right now.  I look forward to trying this with our own spinach.)
• 2 lb. salmon
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. dried dill
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 1/4 c. white wine

Instructions:

1. Use a 6 qt. crockpot.  (Bc I was just cooking one big piece of fish, I used a smaller one.  Use whatever size suits your amount of ingredients.)
2. Wash spinach and put all of it into the crockpot; shove spinach down if necessary.
3. Place fish on top of the spinach.  Sprinkle each side with salt, pepper and dill.
4. Put the sliced lemons on top of the fish.
5. Pour in the wine.
6. Cook on low for 2 hours, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

I don't recall if I adjusted the cooking time or not; I think not.  But I would definitely not stray too far from the crockpot while this recipe was cooking.  That way I could check on it and keep it from overcooking.

The fish was cooked through, yet remained juicy and did not seem dried out.  I know fish is supposed to be cooked so that it's still a bit pink in the center, but I don't know how I feel about trying to achieve that in the slow cooker.  The spinach did wilt a bit during cooking (and the blog does mention that that will happen).  I like wilted spinach, but I would prefer it less wilted.  I suppose I could try adding the spinach in toward the end.  I could also wilt the spinach separately, perhaps even in the microwave, but then it wouldn't soak in the juices in the crockpot.

You can see in the after picture that some of what I believe is the fish's fat settled on top of the fish.  Not the most attractive feature of this recipe, but it does come off quite easily.

I am pleased to know that fish can be cooked successfully in a crockpot and this was a super easy recipe.  I would try this recipe again, although it occurs to me that I haven't actually made it a second time yet.  I will make some adjustments iot avoid over wilted spinach.

Bon appetit!

Before cooking:

After cooking: