Fish & Shellfish
Tom's Slow Baked Lemon Fennel Salmon

1 whole boneless salmon fillet 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 tablespoon fennel seed 1 teaspoon ground fennel

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (optional) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice of one lemon) Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 200F.

Lightly coat a large ceramic, porcelain, or metal serving platter with olive oil or cooking spray. Cut the salmon into serving-sized fillets, and arrange on the platter in the shape of the whole filet, skin side down. Lightly coat the fish with olive oil.

Drizzle the lemon juice and lemon zest over the fish. Season with salt and pepper, crushed fennel seed, ground fennel, and sliced fresh fennel.

Bake 1 hour (the salmon is cooked when it is just barely firm to the touch and juices have begun to collect on the top of the fish).

Serve warm or at room temperature with some lemon wedges.

Notes

For an elegant and easy one-platter dinner, before baking, arrange bite-sized broccoli and cauliflower florets around the fish. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.

Thanks to Tom Salisbury for this simple yet elegant dish.

Makes 8-10 servings.