Salmon Confit With Lime Juniper And Fennel Food

SALMON CONFIT WITH LIME, JUNIPER, AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325°F. Finely grate the zest from 1 of the limes and place the zest in a bowl (reserve the lime for later). Stir in the salt, pepper, and crushed juniper berries and fennel seeds. Sprinkle the mixture all over the salmon fillets and place them, packed close together, in a small baking dish (a large loaf pan or an 8-inch cake pan will work).
• Thinly slice the remaining lime and lay the slices on the fish. Tuck the marjoram sprigs around the fish. Cover the fish with olive oil-you'll need at least ½ cup, possibly even 1 cup, to submerge it. Bake the fish until it's just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. (Thinner fillets may take less time-start checking at 10 minutes.)
• Remove the fennel fronds from the bulb and chop enough to make ½ cup. Trim the fennel bulb and thinly slice it on a mandoline or with a very sharp knife. In a bowl, toss the fennel fronds and slices with a pinch of fine sea salt. Juice the zested lime and add juice, to taste, to the fennel. Drizzle the fennel with oil. Serve the salmon and fennel sprinkled with flaky sea salt.

ROASTED SALMON WITH FENNEL AND LIME

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Finely grate the zest from 1 lime into a small bowl, and set aside the zested lime. Add fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the bowl and toss to combine. Sprinkle mixture all over salmon.
• Meanwhile, remove the fennel fronds from the bulb and chop up enough to make 1/4 cup. Trim fennel bulb, discarding stalks, and slice bulb thinly using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Spread half the fennel slices in a baking dish in an even layer and drizzle with oil. Arrange salmon on top.
• Slice the whole, unzested lime into thin rounds and lay the slices on top of the salmon. Tuck marjoram around the salmon and drizzle salmon generously with more olive oil.
• Roast until salmon is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. (Thinner fillets may take less time, so start checking for doneness at 10 minutes.)
• Meanwhile, toss chopped fennel fronds and remaining fennel slices with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Juice the zested lime and add some of the juice to the fennel, to taste. Drizzle the sliced fennel with olive oil and set aside to serve with the salmon.
• When the salmon is done, drizzle it with more lime juice and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve with the fennel salad on top, and the roast fennel on the side, if you like.

SALMON WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Have the fishmonger cut the head and tail off the salmon and butterfly it, removing all the bones. You should have about 7 pounds of salmon.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Saute the onions and fennel in the olive oil for 10 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme leaves, fennel fronds, orange zest, orange juice, salt, and pepper and saute for 5 more minutes, until the onions and fennel are tender. Taste for salt and pepper.
• Lay the salmon, skin side down, on a cutting board and sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper. Spread the fennel filling over half of the salmon. Pull the other half up and over the filling, enclosing it. Tie the salmon every 2 inches with kitchen string to secure the stuffing.
• Place a sheet pan lined with parchment paper in the oven for 5 minutes to heat it. Carefully transfer the salmon to the hot sheet pan and bake it for exactly 30 minutes (10 minutes for each 1-inch of thickness). Do not overbake!
• Allow to cool slightly, then remove the strings. To serve, cut into thick slices with a very sharp knife. This salmon is delicious hot or at room temperature.
• Note: If you're making this in advance, be sure to cool the filling before stuffing the salmon. Refrigerate until ready to roast.

BAKED SALMON WITH FENNEL & TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Trim the fronds from the fennel and set aside. Cut the fennel bulbs in half, then cut each half into 3 wedges. Cook in boiling salted water for 10 mins, then drain well. Chop the fennel fronds roughly, then mix with the parsley and lemon zest.
• Spread the drained fennel over a shallow ovenproof dish, then add the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, then bake for 10 mins. Nestle the salmon among the veg, sprinkle with lemon juice, then bake 15 mins more until the fish is just cooked. Scatter over the parsley and serve.