Baked Salmon with Fennel & Orange

Fennel, oranges and oregano are delicious flavourings for almost any seafood and I especially like them with a thick piece of crisp-skinned salmon. If you don’t like eating salmon skin, still cook the fish with the skin on as the oils add flavour to the flesh and help keep it moist during cooking, you can always peel it off and discard it before eating (though that seems such a shame). Serve with crusty bread or deliciously simple focaccia (see video below).

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 x 300g piece salmon fillet, skin on, pin-boned
1 baby fennel
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon oregano leaves, sliced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
½ orange, thinly sliced and halved
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Remove fish from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
Wipe skin with paper towel to ensure it’s dry and remove any remaining scales.
Check for bones and place in a shallow bowl skin side down.
Reserve fennel fronds, thinly slice the bulb and place in a separate mixing bowl.
Add garlic, oregano, onion, orange, oil, salt and pepper to the fennel and toss to combine well.
Pour over the salmon, cover and set aside for 30–60 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C.
Transfer everything except the salmon to a small baking dish and place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Wipe the salmon around the bowl to remove as much of the oil and juices as possible.
Place it in the baking dish on top of everything, skin side up, and sprinkle skin generously with salt.
Bake for a further 15 minutes or so, until cooked to your liking, then turn the overhead grill on for 2–3 minutes to crisp the skin.
Scatter with some of the reserved fronds and serve.