Whole fish are usually less expensive than fillets, and the presentation is more impressive. Chef Tim Love generally opts for wild salmon, which has a more delicate flavor than farm-raised. Cooking an eight-pound fish might sound intimidating, he acknowledges, but it's surprisingly fast and simple — though filleting the salmon can require some finesse.
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 whole orange, thinly sliced
- 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons pure ancho chile powder
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing and serving
- one 8- to 9-pound whole wild salmon, scaled and cleaned
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Instruction
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the garlic, chiles, onion, orange, lemon, fennel, 1 tablespoon of the chile powder and the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Lay the salmon diagonally on a very large rimmed baking sheet. Season the cavity of the salmon with salt and pepper. Stuff the salmon with the tossed aromatics. Tie the salmon with kitchen string at 3-inch intervals. Rub the salmon all over with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chile powder. Wrap the head and tail with foil if they touch the side of the oven.
- Roast the salmon on the bottom rack of the oven for about 1 hour, until just cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 135°F to 140°F. Remove the salmon from the oven and preheat the broiler. Set the rack 6 inches from the heat source. Broil the salmon for about 3 minutes, until it is richly browned.
- With two forks, carefully lift off the salmon skin from the top side and reserve. Lift the flesh from the top side of the salmon and transfer to a platter. Lift the skeletal bone from the salmon and discard. Carefully pour off the pan juices into a bowl. Cut the second side of the salmon into sections and transfer to the platter. Discard the aromatics. Serve the salmon with the pan juices, crispy skin and olive oil.
