Poached salmon will always hold a spark of romance for me because it was the first dinner I ever made for my husband, roughly this time of year 30 years ago. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say we fell in love over that meal of buttery, flaky fish draped in a cool, creamy yogurt sauce.

Making poached salmon, like nurturing a good relationship, involves a measure of care and attention, but there is an overall ease to it. You start by getting the poaching liquid together in a pan wide enough to hold the fish in a single layer. You season it – in this case with lemon juice, sliced shallots and dill, but any combination of acid, aromatic and herb will work – and bringing it to a boil.