Recipe by Sam Parish in collaboration with Latitude Magazine
Serves 8–12
Prep 30 mins
Cooking 1 hour 40 mins (includes resting time)
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
2 seeded bagels, thinly sliced
10 egg whites
2 kg iodised fine salt
1 whole Akaroa Salmon, cleaned and gutted (mine was 2.4 kg)
2 lemons, 1 sliced, 1 zested and juiced
1 bunch dill, fronds picked, and stems reserved
250 g creme fraiche
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
3 oranges, segmented
120 g mesclun lettuce leaves
Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Drizzle one tray with ¼ cup of the oil and add bagel slices. Toss to coat in oil then bake for 20 minutes or until toasted and golden. Stand until required.
Lightly whisk egg whites in bowl then add salt, bit by bit, mixing to combine, until it reaches a snow-like consistency.
Place one third on a lined tray and shape to the length and width of the fish. Add fish, nestling into the salt. Fill fish cavity with most of the lemon slices and dill stems then use salt mixture to coat the fish completely, working right down to the salt on the bottom and leaving the tail exposed.
Decorate salt coating by indenting the salt like the scales of a fish. Bake for 40 minutes or until salt is browned and hard as a rock, and when tested with a skewer the centre of the fish is warm. Remove and stand for 45 minutes to rest and cook evenly.
Meanwhile, chop most of the dill fronds and combine with creme fraiche, zest and seasoning. Whisk together lemon juice, mustard and remaining oil in a bowl. Add fennel and orange segments. Toss to coat. Stand to pickle slightly.
When ready to serve use a hammer or back of a knife to crack salt and reveal fish. Peel back the skin and serve with forks for guests to take what they want. Toss mesclun through fennel and orange and serve alongside fish with creme fraiche and bagel crisps.