31st December 2009

We are very quiet normally at New Year, we don’t even stay up for the fireworks, but we usually eat something nice. It was a bit different this year, because in the morning we spontaneously decided it would be fun to have a couple of neighbours, family and the B&B guests for dinner (and play compulsory silly games). This recipe was inspired by the dearth of half priced salmons in the dreaded supermarkets (even Len the Fish can’t buy wholesale at these prices), and by Olly my brother who did it beautifully for us on Christmas Eve. Whilst my presentation could not match his, I think the flavour was perfect. If I was rich, and could get it, I would of course buy organic salmon every time. It is alarming to read what farmed fish is fed on, it is not just it’s fertilized food, it is the antibiotics and drugs and growth promoters which they need to stay healthy in overcrowded conditions and to be able to grow at such terrific rates. We only eat this once (or twice) a year, so I become an ostrich here, my head firmly planted in the sand on this one. It is our ‘daily’ food, which I feel strongly should be organic, and this is one of my supermarket (super value) exceptions to ‘the rule’. I have to justify it to myself that if I ate Salmon out I would pay the same amount for one portion (and here we have 15+ portions), and it would be the same, farmed non-organic fish. And so, I don’t dwell.

Whole Baked Salmon

Serves about 15-20

salmon, approx 3.5kg gutted, scaled, whole (probably in 2 halves to fit in oven), washed

lemon, x4. 3 cut into rings, and 1 for squeezing

butter, unsalted, 125g approx, melted

salt, coarse

pepper

onion, x1 whole, finely chopped

dill, (optional)

parsley, (optional)

wood (optional), a wooden slab in oak or alder to ‘smoke’ the fish on

Pre-heat the oven to a hot 200°C. Take time to prepare the foil, it needs to surround the whole fish with no holes and an air space above. Open out the foil, place wooden slab if using on top of foil, and fish on top of slab. Massage butter generously onto entire fish, including the cavity. Squeeze lemon juice over, rub in plenty of salt and pepper. Place herbs, onion and lemon rings in cavity and more lemon along the length. Wrap up carefully. Bake in a hot oven for half an hour. Turn oven down to 150°C for an hour and then check. It probably needs another half an hour. It is done when the flesh comes off the bone in the deepest part of the fish. Leave to rest wrapped in foil for half an hour or so. Take off skin before serving. Looks great displayed on an aluminium foil ‘tablecloth’ as a whole fish, skin removed with lemon wedge ‘waves’ wafting away from it and dill and parsley to garnish (it was sensational Olly, well done).

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

www.organicfarmwales.co.uk