The Big Glut Recipe – August

Summer salmon platter with sauce verte

Are friends coming round and you want something refreshingly different, or you’re just bored with barbecues? This can be done with a whole salmon for a summer lunch or supper. Or you can adapt it to a couple of salmon fillets cooked in minutes. The list is not as daunting as it looks.

Ingredients

• 1 whole salmon about 4kg/8lb gutted and cleaned 
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp grated lemon rind
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley plus some reserved
• 2 tsp freshly chopped thyme
• 4 tbsp dry white wine
• Salt and black pepper
• Slices of hard boiled eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers
• Torn lettuce leaves
• Olives

For the sauce verte

• 2 tbsp freshly chopped watercress
• 4 tbsp freshly chopped spinach
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 450ml/15 fl oz Hellman’s mayonnaise or homemade 
• 4 tbsp double cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper

Rub salt and pepper on the inside of the salmon. Take a sheet of aluminium foil that is big enough to enclose the whole salmon. Grease the foil with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Put the salmon on the foil. Crush the bay leaves in your hand and sprinkle over the salmon together with the lemon rind, parsley and thyme.

Fold up the two ends of the foil to make a parcel, pour in the remaining oil and the wine over the fish. Fold the top of the foil to complete the parcel and seal in the salmon then place on a baking sheet. Bake in a warm oven at 170ºC/325ºF or Gas mark 3 for about 1¼ to 1½ hours. Check the flesh flakes easily.

Place salmon on a flat work surface and discard the foil and cooking juices. Let it cool, then carefully remove the skin, keeping the fish intact. Once fully cool place on a platter large enough for the fish and the salad. Garnish with the salad and leaves and a handful of olives.

For the sauce, wash the spinach, watercress and parsley and place in a saucepan, cooking and stirring gently for five or six minutes. Place the greens in a blender and whizz to a puree. Mix the mayo, cream, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste then fold in the green puree, mixing well. Serve in a sauceboat with the salmon, salad and cooled cooked new potatoes sprinkled with reserved parsley. You have of course chilled off the nice white wine, Prosecco or champagne for the occasion.