Whole Poached Salmon
As a family we spent many happy times on the Oykel river in Sutherland, fishing for wild salmon, staying at at small local hotel. We would be allocated a week’s fishing, according to their draw in a syndicate; the week you fish alters the salmon you catch and eat, with silver salmon in the springand reddish salmon later in the summer, the spring salmon being our preferred choice. We would choose from the fish caught during their week which we wanted to cook and which fish to be sent away to be smoked.
Over time the wild salmon population has drastically declined with climate change. Restrictions to protect the native salmon are such that this meal may become a piece of history. You are now unlikely to be able to take your catch home, to protect reserves of breeding salmon. Please when choosing a salmon always try and source the best quality you can find and buy. A whole poached salmon is an incredibly special and celebratory dish.
ingredients
4lbs best quality salmon approx (2.5kg)
fish kettle
1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 fennel, trimmed cored and cut into quarters
2 bay leaves
small bunch of parsley, or dill
2 unwaxed lemons, sliced
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into large slices
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or wine
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
6 black peppercorns
method
Use a fish kettle, with a lift-out drainer, to cook the salmon which will be covered with liquid to poach it properly. The drainer enables you to remove the fish without it breaking apart.
Place the fish in the fish kettle, I asked my fishmonger to gut it for me. Fill the cavity with the lemon slices and dill. Add the onions, fennel, carrot and remaining lemon slices to the fish kettle, tucking them around the salmon. Add bay leaves, white wine vinegar and fill the kettle with cold water. Until the salmon is completely submerged. Finally add the sea salt and 5-6 black peppercorns.
Place the fish kettle on the oven top, and over 2 heat sources, at either end. Bring up to a boil, lid on and then remove from the heat. Allow the salmon to completely cool in the residual heat, then remove from the kettle. Carefully lift fish out of the kettle with the grid, dry the fish as much as possible. Place on a large platter and remove the skin and brown meat. Add boiled new potatoes and watercress to your platter and fres dill to decorate the fish.