The author writes, "When a salmon fillet is properly cooked, you'll find that it flakes off the skin with relative ease. Baking the fish on rock salt tempers and distributes the heat, resulting in moist evenly cooked flesh."
Serves 2 - 3
Prepare the vinaigrette my version follows, Wildwood recipe below*, by whisking together:
1 T olive oil
1 T tarragon vinegar
1/2 t Dijon mustard (or Ducktrap River Mustard Dill Sauce)
1/2 medium red onion (or equal amount of sweet white onion), thinly sliced
1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)
1 t capers, drained
1 t chopped fresh fennel weed
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Cover and refrigerate if not using within the next few hours. Can be made up to two days ahead, but I serve at room-temperature.
Prepare:
1 pound wild salmon
remove pin bones, leave skin intact. Rub with:
1 T minced mixed fennel weed, sage and thyme (Wildwood uses 2 T of mixed minced fresh herbs such as tarragon, basil, flat-leafed parsley and thyme for 4 pounds of fillet)
1 1/2 t fennel seeds cracked **
Salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
If not cooking immediately, cover and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cover a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the fish with aluminum foil turning up the edges slightly. Cover the surface of the foil with
Rock or kosher salt
Bake in the oven until opaque on the outside and slightly translucent in the center. Wildwood says 35 to 45 minutes for 4 pounds of fish; I cooked 20-25 minutes (convection oven) for one pound of fish. Time will vary according to the thickness of the piece too. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes (the salmon will continue to cook).
To serve use a wide spatula to remove the salmon from the salt. Remove the skin and portion the salmon onto plates or a large warm serving platter. Spoon the red onion-caper vinaigrette over and serve or serve sauce on the side - especially with the more delicate king salmon.
Author's note: "Though the salt on which the salmon is baked will absorb juices from the fish, there's no reason to throw it out. Instead set it aside for use the next time you prepare this dish or one similar to it."***
I served this for Ed's Birthday dinner - 1 June 2010 (photo below).
(for 2 pounds of salmon/8 servings as an entrée):
1 c olive oil
1/4 c sherry vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 t capers, drained
1 t chopped fresh basil
1 t salt
3/4 t freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the desired amount of seeds in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes, or until they begin to darken in color, occasionally shaking the pan so the seeds will toast evenly. Remove the seeds from the oven and pour them onto a cool pan.
To crack the seeds, use a large knife; with the wide side of the blade, press down on the seeds.
*** Wildwood Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest, page 13.
Reviewed 5/22/2017
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