Cook a Whole Salmon

Knowing how to cook a whole salmon is a great skill to have, because it minimizes waste, lets you add a lot of flavor to the fish, and is great for people who like to catch their own. There are a couple ways to cook an entire salmon, including roasting and grilling. You don’t actually need a fish kettle to cook salmon this way either, but you certainly can use one if you’ve got it handy.

Ingredients

Roasted Salmon

Serves four

• 5½ pounds (2.5 kg) whole salmon, scaled and gutted
• 3⅓ pounds (1.5 kg) potatoes
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper
• 1 small bunch fresh dill, washed and chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed and chopped
• 2 lemons
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• ½ cup (119 ml) dry white wine
• Olive oil, to drizzle

Grilled Salmon

Serves two

• 3 pounds (1.4 kg) whole salmon, scaled and gutted
• ¼ cup (59 ml) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chili sauce
• 1 inch fresh ginger root, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon (13 g) brown sugar
• 3 green onions, chopped

Steps

Roasting Salmon

1. Preheat the oven and get the baking tray ready. Set your oven to 400 F (204 C) and let it come to temperature. Choose a baking sheet that will be long enough to accommodate your fish. It’s ok if the head and tail overhang a little. Line the baking sheet with two layers of aluminum foil that are each a little longer than the sheet.
   • You can also use a roasting pan or fish kettle to cook the salmon.
2. Clean and slice the potatoes. Clean the potatoes under running water and scrub them with a vegetable brush to remove dirt. Pat them dry with a towel or paper towel. With a knife, slice them into rounds that are a quarter-inch (0.6 cm) thick.
   • You can also use a mandolin to cut the potatoes.
3. Lay the potatoes on the baking tray. Arrange the potato slices on top of the aluminum foil on the baking tray. Start with a single layer, and then overlap the potatoes if necessary. Drizzle them with some olive oil to coat the top layer.
   • Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with salt and pepper.
4. Make the dressing. Take half the dill and half the parsley and place it in a bowl. Use a zester or grater to zest the two lemons. Add the zest to the bowl with the herbs and toss to mix.
   • Cut open one of the lemons and squeeze the juice over the herbs. Toss to coat.
5. Dry the belly and skin. Place the salmon on the cutting board. Open the slit in the belly that the fishmonger made when removing the organs. Pat the inside of the belly dry with paper towel. Pat the outside with a fresh paper towel as well.
6. Slice the salmon’s skin. With your knife, score the skin of the salmon by making six angled cuts from the back to the belly. The cuts should be about an inch (2.5 cm) deep. Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side.
   • The point of scoring the skin is to give you a place to stuff the herbs, dressing, and vegetables.
7. Dress and stuff the salmon. Transfer the fish to the baking sheet, laying it diagonally across the potatoes. Take the remaining dill and parsley and stuff it inside the salmon’s belly. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and the herb-lemon mixture into each slash you made in the skin.
   • Sprinkle the top of the fish with the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic.
   • Drizzle the white wine over the top of the fish and vegetables.
8. Roast the salmon. Curl the edges of the foil up and around the fish and potatoes to make a little lip around everything. Place the fish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After that time, lower the heat to 350 F (177 C) and cook the salmon for another half-hour.
   • Remove the fish from the oven when the cooking time is up.
9. Test the fish for doneness. Insert a skewer into the fish behind its head and leave it for 10 seconds. Remove the skewer and hold it to your lip. If it feels warm, the fish is ready.

Grilling Salmon

1. Preheat the grill and wrap the fish. Fire up the grill or barbecue to high heat, around 400 F (204 C). Lay out three large sheets of aluminum foil that are big enough to hold the salmon, plus some extra for folding.
   • Place the salmon on the three layers of foil. Fold up the edges of the foil around the salmon on all sides to make a lip.
2. Make the dressing. Whisk together the soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, and garlic in a medium bowl. Use the zester to zest the lime, and add that to the bowl as well. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine all the ingredients.
3. Score and dress the skin. With a sharp knife, score the skin of the salmon by making four shallow cuts on one side of the body, running from the back to the belly. Drizzle the dressing into the slits and onto the skin of the fish. Finally, sprinkle the fish with the chopped green onions.
4. Grill the salmon. For a wood or charcoal grill, move the hot coals to either side of the grill so the salmon will cook over indirect heat. For a gas grill, turn off the gas to one side. Place the salmon on the grill away from the heat. Close the lid and cook the salmon for 25 to 30 minutes.
   • To determine if the salmon is done, look at the color of the flesh. It should be pink inside with lighter colored edges.
   • If you have a meat thermometer, 120 F (49 C) is rare and 130 F (54 C) is medium.

Serving and Slicing Whole Salmon

1. Rest the salmon. When the salmon comes out of the oven or off the grill, set it aside to rest for five to 10 minutes before you cut it. This will give the meat time to relax, and will help make the salmon juicier.
2. Remove the skin. Once the fish has had time to rest, you can remove the skin. Start by opening the foil surrounding the fish. Gently peel away the skin from the fish. If there is any grey flesh on the salmon, carefully scrape it away with a spoon.
3. Plate the fish. With a spatula, carefully lift the fish from the foil and transfer it to a serving platter. Use a spoon to scoop up any juices left in the foil and drizzle them over the fish.
   • For salmon that was roasted with other vegetables, arrange the vegetables (such as potatoes and carrots) around the fish on the platter.
   • You can serve the fish whole like this and slice it into individual portions at the table.
4. Slice the salmon. Use a sharp knife to cut the fish into individual portions. Cut off the head and tail if they're still attached. Then, cut the salmon into horizontal or widthwise steaks. Each steak should be about a half-inch (1.3 cm) in thickness.
   • Transfer the portions to individual plates, and serve some of the vegetables and juices with each portion.

Things You'll Need

Roasted Salmon

• Knife
• Baking sheet
• Aluminum foil
• Cutting board
• Zester
• Bowl
• Paper towel
• Skewer
• Serving platter
• Spatula

Grilled Salmon

• Barbecue or grill
• Aluminum foil
• Knife
• Whisk
• Bowl
• Zester
• Serving platter
• Spatula

Related Articles

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Fillet Salmon
• Make Asian Salmon Noodles
• Short Smoke a Salmon
• Make Tea‐Marinated Salmon
• Cook Salmon Fillet
• Bake Salmon
• Defrost Salmon
• Serve Smoked Salmon
• Prepare Crab Stuffed Salmon
• Make Almond Crusted Salmon

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