Whole Baked Salmon

With this method of cooking a whole salmon, you don’t need a fish kettle – you simply bake the fish in a parcel in the oven. Here’s how to create this classic buffet centrepiece

1. 1

   1 - Ask your fishmonger to gut the whole salmon to save you a messy job. Wash the fish and pat dry with kitchen paper, then cut off the fins so they don’t burn in the oven. If the salmon is too long for the
   roasting tray, cleanly cut off the head and tail with a sharp knife.
   
   2 - Fill the cavity of the fish with the sliced lemon and fennel and bay leaves. Scrunch up a piece of tin foil and push into the cavity. This
   will help the fish stand upright in the roasting tray and on the serving plate.
   
   3 - Lay out two long sheets of tin foil and spread the top one with butter. Scatter with the rest of the lemon slices, black peppercorns and parsley. Put the fish on top then gather up the sides of the foil. Pour in the wine then fold the edges of the foil together to seal tightly. Lay the parcel onto a roasting tray, curving the fish a little to fit in it. Put into a pre-heated oven at 220,C/200,C fan/Gas 7 and cook for 30-40 minutes.
   
   4 - When the fish is cooked through, lift it out of the foil onto a chopping board. While it’s still warm, carefully remove the skin on one side
   with a blunt knife, working from the top of the head to the tail. Repeat on the other side until all skin is removed.
   
   5 - Make the salad by mixing together the cucumber, watercress, fennel and dill. Dress with white wine vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice
   then season to taste. Lay out on a large plate then position the fish on top. Serve warm or cold.