Salt-Baked Wild Salmon with Tomato Aïoli and Potatoes

By á-25087

Adapted recipe by Leitesculinaria
Original recipe by My Favorite Ingredients

Ingredients

• For the tomato aloli
• 3 large organic egg yolks
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, cooled
• Scant 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• For the salmon
• 1 wild salmon (about 9 pounds), cleaned but not scaled
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 1 branch wild fennel or fronds from 1 fennel bulb
• 11 pounds coarse rock salt or coarse sea salt (see above Note)
• For the potatoes
• 2 1/4 pounds new potatoes, washed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Handful of purslane or pea shoots (when in season)
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
• 6 to 8 ripe plum tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Make the aïoli

Place the egg yolks in a blender or food processor, add the garlic, lemon juice, a little salt and pepper, and the tomatoes, then whiz briefly to combine. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil through the feeder tube in a very slow, steady stream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. (This can be made up to a day in advance.)

Prepare the salmon

Preheat the oven to its highest setting, at least 500°F (260°C or convection oven to 475°F). Rinse the fish inside and out under cold running water, then pat it dry. Place the lemon slices and fennel inside the cavity. Don’t bother to season the fish.

Place the rock salt in a large bowl and add enough cold water to yield the consistency of wet sand. (This can take as much as 4 cups, depending on the type of salt, but start with just 1 cup of water.) Mix with your hands.

Spread half of the salt mixture on a large baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan to create a flat, even surface. Lay the fish on top and cover with the rest of the salt, packing it firmly around the fish, as if you were burying someone at the beach.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish is barely cooked. To test, pierce the thickest part of the fish through to the bone with a sharp knife. If the knife tip feels warm to the touch when you withdraw it, the fish is ready. If not, cook it for a little longer. Set the pan aside to rest and cool to room temperature. The fish will continue to cook in the residual heat as it cools within its salt crust.

Make the potatoes:

Cook the potatoes in well-salted boiling water until very tender and almost falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and, while still warm, sprinkle them with the lemon juice, season with lots of pepper, and a little more salt if necessary. Add the olive oil and toss well to combine. Then add the purslane and toss again.

Serve the fish:

Crack the salt crust open with the handle of a knife or a rolling pin. Carefully remove the salt and peel off the skin from the fish. Serve the beautiful, succulent salmon warm or at room temperature with the warm potatoes and tomato aïoli.



Slow-Roasted Tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to its lowest setting—probably 250°F (120°C).

Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and lay them, cut side up, in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

Mix together the sugar, salt, and pepper, then sprinkle over the cut surface of the tomatoes. Roast in the oven, undisturbed, for 3 to 4 hours, until they shrivel up. Let cool.

Refrigerate and use within a few days. Or pack in sterilized jars, cover with extra-virgin olive oil, seal, and refrigerate for up to a month (but use within a week once opened).