Directions for: Salt Roasted Salmon
Ingredients
1 6 lb(s) whole Atlantic salmon, gutted and scaled (2.7 to 3.6 kg)
1 whole lemon, cut into thin slices
1 small bulb of fennel, trimmed and cut into thin slices
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 lb(s) coarse salt (2.7 kg)
Spray bottle filled with cold water
Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the lemon and fennel slices into the stomach cavity of the fish and season with salt and pepper.
3. Dump the coarse salt into a large bowl and begin spraying the salt with the water. The salt needs to be lightly misted to achieve the right consistency for forming a crust, if the water were poured directly into the salt it would melt.
4. Continue to mist the salt until a clump holds together in your hand this will take a surprising amount of misting. Do not rush this process.
5. Lay a bed of the coarse salt on the prepared baking tray, large enough to accommodate the salmon.
6. Lay the salmon on the bed of salt and mound the remaining salt up and around the salmon to cover, leaving the head and tail exposed.
7. Put the salmon into the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. In order to check the doneness you will need to insert a metal skewer into the thickest part of the salmon. Once inserted, pull it out and immediately place on either your wrist or lower lip to test the internal temperature. The skewer, and thus the fish should be hot.
8. When cooked, remove the fish from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
9. Very carefully, chip away at the salt that covers the salmon until you have the whole salmon uncovered this part is messy but fun.
10. Gently remove the skin and the fat from the exposed fillet of salmon.
11. Lift large pieces of the flesh away from the bone and serve with the salsa verde.
12. The salmon is also delicious served at room temperature as part of a buffet.
See more: Dinner, Bake, Main, Lunch, North American, Citrus, Fish