Recipes

Stuffed Whole Wild Salmon

Name: Stuffed Whole Wild Salmon
Total time: 85 min
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

5.0

(636)

2 Reviews

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.To make Grilled Salmon Sandwiches: Reserve 1 1/4 pounds of salmon. More Salmon Recipes

By Tim Love

Updated on June 20, 2018

Suffed Whole Wild Salmon — Photo: © Tina Rupp

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hrs 25 mins

Yield:

12

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

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°. 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° to 140°. 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 2 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.

Make Ahead

The stuffed and tied salmon can be refrigerated overnight.

Suggested Pairing

Chardonnays from the warm climate of Napa Valley take on a Rubenesque richness that works great with meaty, full-flavored fish like this stuffed salmon.