Salmon is possibly my favourite fish to cook when I'm having people over for dinner, its so versatile almost un spoilable, you can under cook it, over cook it or cook it perfectly and it will nearly always taste good.
With so many options out there for salmon the first task is deciding how you want to prepare and cook it.
I have chosen whole roasted salmon here because it looks great, it is so easy to cook and above all a crowd pleaser for meat lovers and vegetarians alike.
Whole Roasted Salmon
Ingredients
For the Salmon
1whole Salmon of 2kg or above
3 red and 3 green chillies
1 fresh bunch of each of the following:
- Dill
- Tarragon
- Flat Leaf Parsley
3 Lemons
Sea Salt
Crushed black peppercorns
Olive oil
For the sides
2kg new or baby potatoes
Fresh rosemary
Salted butter
Tender stem broccoli
Prep
Salmon - The fish should come gutted, however not nessicarily scaled. Don't panic if it isn't scaled, just follow the following instructions;
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1. Hold the fish by the tail and place the dull side of your blade at a 45-degree angle with the sharp side facing towards you
2. Place your knife against the grain of the scales, & start scraping away from yourself in smooth, steady motions
Once the scales have been removed make vertical incisions into the body of the fish on both sides at least 1cm deep and approximately 1.5 - 2cm apart.
One issue you may encounter is the size of your oven, If the fish is to big try putting it in diagonally, if it still doesn't fit then remove the head behind the gills.
Chillies - Remove the seeded centre and then finely chop.
Dill, Tarragon, Flat leaf parsley, Rosemary -
1) Split each herb bunch into two
2) Leave half of each bunch to one side
3) Take the other halves of the herbs and separate the main leaves from the stalks
4) Chop finely keeping the rosemary separate
Incision filling - Take the dill, tarragon and parsley and throw them into a blender with the juice from half of a lemon and some olive oil. Chuck in half of the chopped chillies and 2 tsp of crushed peppercorns. Give it a whizz until it is all mixed.
Marinating - Fill the cavity of the fish with the un chopped bunches of dill, tarragon and parsley then spread the remaining chopped chillies over the herbs. Chop another lemon into wedges and lay them inside too before closing it up. Fill the incisions with the mix you made in the in the blender, don't be afraid to really get it in there.
Finish off by wrapping the fish in cling film and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours, I prefer to leave it in the fridge overnight to really absorb the flavours.
How to throw it together
1. Start by pre heating the oven to 240 degrees.
2. Part boil the potatoes and drain the water, crush them down with a potato masher so they are broken open. You should now coat them lightly in olive, throw in the chopped rosemary, a pinch or two of sea salt and a sprinkling of crushed peppercorns before giving them a good shake. Finally load them into roasting tray and stick them in the oven.
3. Take the fish out of its cling film and give it a coating of olive oil. Stick it on a roasting rack before putting it in the oven for 20 mins to give it a good blast, after 20 mins turn the oven down down to 180 degrees and cook for another 30 mins.
4. After 40 minutes total cooking time put the tender stem broccoli in a pan and either boil or steam for 8 minutes.
5. At this point we should be getting ready to serve. Take the fish and potatoes out of the oven and load into a large serving dish, tip the broccoli into a bowl and place in the middle of the table.
I hope you enjoy.