Whole salmon from the oven

Ingredients

• 1 young salmon, whole (approx. 1.5-2 kg)
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 large carrot(s)
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 bay leaf
• a few stalks of thyme or dried thyme
• 1 bunch of parsley
• salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp water
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ lemon(s), the juice thereof

Preparation

First cut the onion into thin rings and the carrots into fine strips. Then blanch the onions in the butter over a low heat until they are soft. Then add the carrot strips and herbs. Sauté for 4 minutes.
Then season with salt and pepper and deglaze with the water, wine and lemon juice. Allow this stock to reduce a little over a moderate heat for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200°C. To prepare, wash the salmon and pat dry. A small dash of vinegar will help to loosen the slime layer from the salmon.

Spread out a large sheet of aluminium foil with half of the vegetable stock the size of the salmon. Then place the fish on top. If it is too big for the juicing pan, the head and tail can be cut off. The belly can then be filled with the parsley. The rest of the vegetable stock can then be used to cover the salmon.

Then close the aluminium foil, but not too tightly: after all, there should still be a little air in the packet. Place this packet crosswise in the juice pan of the oven and cook on the middle shelf. Calculate the cooking time: 3 minutes should be allowed per 100 grams. For a salmon weighing 1.5kg, this results in a cooking time of 45 minutes.

If the salmon is served as a hot main course, serve it with a side dish of waxy potatoes with horseradish. The baked salmon can also be served as a cold main course or starter. In this case, leave to cool first, then fillet and arrange on a platter with lemon slices. It is best served with various sauces such as apple and horseradish sauce, aioli or a creamy spinach and lemon sauce. Serve with a baguette.