Whole Baked Salmon with Fennel, Ginger and Lemon Recipe

Method

1. Heat the oven to 240 C, 220 C fan, 475 F, gas 9. Slash the salmon 5 times on each side and tuck a lemon slice into each slash on the top side. Oil a large piece of foil well (this is very important, so the fish doesn't stick), making sure it's big enough to form a loose parcel round the salmon. Oil the fish well too, and place it on the foil on a large baking tray.

2. Lay the fennel and ginger in the cavity of the salmon and season it well all over. Bring the sides of the foil up slightly, pour in the wine and squeeze over the juice of the remaining lemon half.

3. Bring the foil pieces up into the middle and scrunch them in on themselves to form a Cornish pasty-shaped parcel. Make sure there's a gap of air between the salmon and the top of the foil, so that the fish can steam. Cook in the top of the oven for 30 minutes, then undo the top of the foil so that the salmon is exposed, and return to the oven for 15 minutes to brown.

4. When the fish is cooked, peel back the foil and, using fish slices, lift the salmon onto a serving plate. You can pour off the cooking juices and serve with the fish as a sauce. If you're serving a buffet, the salmon can be left to cool and served at room temperature.