Salmon Strawberry Fennel Salad Food

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.

SALMON-FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the salmon: Combine 4 cups water, the sugar, 2 cups salt and the lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool, then refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. Add the salmon; brine in the refrigerator, 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the salmon from the brine and pat dry. Brush with olive oil on both sides. Place in a roasting pan and bake until just opaque, about 14 minutes. Let cool, then flake with a fork.
• Make the dressing: Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt.
• Combine the arugula, chives, celery leaves, parsley and fennel in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Divide among plates and top with the salmon.

MARINATED SALMON WITH FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• With a very sharp knife, trim the gray fat off the skin side of the salmon; it has a strong flavor. Slice the salmon as thinly as possible.
• Make the marinade: Put the lemon juice in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the salmon in an oiled dish large enough to hold the slices in a single layer. Scatter the celery over the fish, then spoon the marinade over all. Cover and refrigerate until the salmon is a little more than half "cooked", which you can tell by the change in color from rosy orange to pale pink. It should take about 3 hours, depending on the thinness of the slices.
• To serve, divide the salmon and celery among 6 plates, reserving the marinade. Put the sliced fennel and fronds in a bowl and drizzle with enough of the marinade to coat it lightly. Toss well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the fennel among the plates. Spoon a little extra marinade over the salmon.

FENNEL, ARUGULA AND STRAWBERRY SALAD

Steps:

• Put the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the vinegar is reduced to about 1/3 cup and syrupy, about 15 minutes; cool to room temperature.
• Remove the feathery fronds from the fennel bulb and chop. Remove the core from the fennel and, using a mandoline slicer or a knife, shave the fennel into very thin slices. Add to a salad bowl along with the arugula and almonds. Drizzle the reduced vinegar over the greens, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss until coated. Sprinkle the strawberries and chopped reserved fennel fronds over the top and serve immediately.

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.

CHARRED SALMON WITH FENNEL & OLIVE SALAD

Steps:

• If you are lucky enough to get a fennel bulb with fronds, pick them off and keep them. Trim the fennel; then, using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, slice it as thinly as possible. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and have a bowl of iced water ready. Tip the fennel into the pan, leave for 30 secs, then lift into the iced water with a slotted spoon.
• Roughly chop the tomatoes. Put a sieve over a large bowl and squeeze the seeds and juice from the tomatoes with your hands. Get rid of the seeds but keep the juices ready to make the dressing. Add the lemon zest and juice, olive oil and a good pinch of salt to the tomato juices and stir well. Drain the fennel well and add to the bowl along with the olives, capers and the tomato flesh. Mix well, then set aside.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut the salmon into 4 fillets, rub well with the vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a griddle or frying pan with an ovenproof handle, then cook the salmon, skin-side down, over a medium heat for 7 mins. There may be some smoke, but what is important is that the salmon is well charred so it has a bitter, crisp bottom and the flesh is sweet, soft and almost translucent inside. Now pop the salmon into the oven, still skin-side down in the pan, then roast for 3 mins until just cooked through.
• Roughly chop the parsley and mix through the salad. Serve the salad on plates, then carefully lift the salmon from the pan and sit it on top, skin-side up. Drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil and tuck in.

SALMON ON FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Using microplane or other grater, zest lime, lemon and orange. Combine zests; set aside. Juice lime, lemon and orange; combine juices and set aside.
• To grill salmon, preheat barbecue to medium-hot. Brush bright pink tops of salmon with butter; place buttered-side-down on grill for 4 to 5 minutes or until brown grill marks are evident. Turn salmon; continue grilling for another 4 to 5 minutes or until a fork used to separate the flakes of flesh show a slightly undercooked centre for medium or opaque for well-done.
• Sprinkle each fillet with a pinch or 2 of zest (all zest will not be used). If serving cold, cover and refrigerate immediately for up to a day.
• To make salad, stir reserved juices with sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil; set aside.
• Cut rind off oranges; section.
• Cut off green fronds from fennel; finely chop some of feather part for garnish. Cut bulb in half; core. Using a mandolin or fine blade of food processor, finely slice crosswise into slaw-like pieces. There should be 4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.25 L).
• Toss fennel and orange sections with dressing. (If making earlier in day, cover and refrigerate fennel mixture and dressing separately until ready to serve.).
• Line serving plates with salad greens; top with fennel orange mixture. Lay salmon, hot or cold, over salad and strew with almonds and reserved fennel tops.