Main · 35 minutes · Serves 6
A whole side of salmon with Bright Pepper
A whole side of salmon is the easiest thing in the world to overcook, because it is two thicknesses pretending to be one. The shoulder end is twice as deep as the tail, so by the time the middle is right the tail has gone chalky.
Fold the last hand-span of the tail back under itself before it goes in the oven. Now the side is one depth all the way along and it cooks evenly, which is the entire trick.
Bright Pepper goes on directly, before the herbs, so the lemon zest and orange peel in it reach the flesh. The citrus slices go on top of the herb layer rather than on the fish — resting on the greenery they perfume from above instead of stewing the surface.
- Serves
- 6
- Time
- 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 side of salmon, about 1.2 kg, skin on and pin-boned
- 1 tbsp Bright Pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A large handful of flat-leaf parsley and dill, stalks and all
- 1 lemon and 1 lime, sliced into thin rounds
- Flake salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C fan and oil a large tray.
- Lay the salmon skin side down and fold the thin tail end back under itself so the side is an even thickness along its length.
- Rub the oil over the flesh, then scatter the Bright Pepper evenly across the whole surface and press it in lightly.
- Cover the middle two thirds with the herbs, stalks included — they lift the citrus off the flesh and steam it gently from underneath.
- Lay the lemon and lime rounds over the herbs, spaced out.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. It is ready when the thickest part flakes under gentle pressure and is still coral in the centre.
- Serve straight from the tray, with flake salt on the table.