Ingredients
- 2.5 kg (5 lb 8 oz) Atlantic salmon, cleaned and scaled
- 3.75 litres (15 cups) court bouillon
- ½ cucumber, peeled
- lemon wedges, for serving
- mayonnaise, for serving
Fish substitution
- ocean trout, pacific salmon, sea bass
Method
1. Put the whole fish in a fish kettle, pour in the court bouillon, then cover with a lid. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and poach for about 15 minutes, or until the dorsal fin can be easily removed and the inside of the salmon looks cooked and opaque. Alternatively, you can use a baking dish big enough to hold the fish and bake the fish in a 180°C (350°F/ Gas 4) oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the fish cool in the liquid.
2. Remove the fish from the liquid and put on a work surface with the flatter side uppermost. Peel back the skin on this side, leaving the head and tail intact, and cut neatly around the head and tail. Turn the fish over and peel the other side. Make a cut horizontally down the centre of the salmon and gently separate the two pieces of fillet, then lift them off, being careful to keep them intact. Cut through the spine at the head and tail end and gently pull out the large bone. Pull out any bones which get left behind. Neatly replace the two pieces of fillet onto the lower fillet. Slice the cucumber into discs and then cut each one in half. Use these to decorate the salmon and hide the joins. Serve with lemon and mayonnaise.
