Recipe: Dishwasher Salmon with a Piquant Dill Sauce

I had to post this recipe because it is so outrageous :-)!!! It truly sounds like a nutty, fun recipe and one that would be fun to try.

Dishwasher Salmon with a Piquant Dill Sauce
Recipe courtesy Bob Blumer (The Surreal Gourmet)
Yield: 4 servings

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Piquant Dill Sauce, recipe follows

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.

Don't have a dishwasher? Bake foil-wrapped packets in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 12 minutes.

The Instruction Manual:
Seal individual-size fillets in aluminum foil. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COOK A WHOLE FISH.

Place fish packets on the top rack. 3. Add dirty dishes and lemon-scented soap. This optional step is not recommended for novices. However, as long as the salmon is tightly sealed in the aluminum foil, it will not absorb any soapy taste or smell.

Set the dishwasher to the "normal" cycle. Modern dishwashers have "economy" and "cool dry" settings, which are undesirable because they conserve heat. However, on the other end of the spectrum, the "pots and pans" setting tends to overcook the fish.

Run salmon through the entire wash-and-dry cycle: approximately 50 minutes for most models. I have poached salmon in almost every make and model, and although the temperatures and duration of the cycles vary with each machine, a little more or less "washing" will not affect it greatly because salmon is extremely forgiving.

To heighten the drama for your disbelieving guests, and to prove that you have nothing up your sleeve, let them crowd around the dishwasher when you load the salmon. When the cycle is complete, invite them back to witness the unloading.

Troubleshoot. The only time I ever had a problem was on live national TV. Five minutes before going on the air I learned that the heating element in the on-camera dishwasher was broken. After a quick huddle with the producer, I was forced to make the most of the situation by baking the salmon in the (gasp!) oven. To avoid this pedestrian fate, ask yourself the million-dollar question: When your dishwasher last completed its cycle, were the dishes hot? As long as the answer is yes, you are ready to poach.

Piquant Dill Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, white part only, finely chopped, then thoroughly washed
1 jalapeno chile, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh dill, stems removed before measuring
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

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.