Chop the woody bases from the tarragon stalks and put these in a wide pan with thesalt and ½ tsp of the peppercorns. Add the salmon, skin-side down, plus just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, then turn the heat right down and poach gently until the salmon is just cooked through (about 8 minutes). Use a small lid or upturned plate to weight the salmon down if it keeps bobbing up. Turn off the heat and leave to sit for 5 minutes, then carefully lift out the fish and set aside on a serving dish somewhere warm.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and soften the shallots over a low heat. Lightly crush most of the remaining peppercorns and stir them in. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Stir in the wine, then bubble to reduce it by about half.

Finely chop the tarragon leaves. Stir the cream into the pan with the reduced wine, then add the tarragon and season the sauce to taste.

Pour the sauce over the salmon and scatter the reserved pink peppercorns over the top to garnish. Serve any excess sauce at the table.