With
this cooking holiday in the beautiful and relaxing Dordogne
region of South West France you will learn to cook like
a pro . . . experience the finest of wines, great food
and the traditional markets as you take your culinary
skills to the next level.
HOW
TO COOK A WHOLE SALMON by
Chef and restaurant owner Aiden Byrne
Do your Chritsmas cooking like the pros this year
with help from one of the video masterclasses with
insider tips produced for the Tesco FoodClub. The
videos show you all the essential techniques and savvy
seasonal shortcuts you need.
With this method of cooking a whole salmon, you don’t
need a fish kettle – you simply bake the fish
in a parcel in the oven. Here’s how to create
this classic buffet centrepiece.
Aiden
Byrne
One
of the Britain's most talented chefs, Aiden Byrne's
career has matured in the company of high-profile
chefs including Tom Aikens, Paul Rankin and David
Adlard.
He won his first Michelin star in Norwich at
Adlards Restaurant, at just 22 years of age. Within
18 months of taking over the kitchens at The Grill
at The Dorchester, Aiden injected a passion and
flair for using Britain's finest, seasonal ingredients
with his distinctive cooking style. He is currently
cooking at his gastro-pub The Church Green, in
Cheshire and is working on various other new restaurant
and retail ventures there.
Liverpool-born Aiden is passionate about British
ingredients, and has written a cookbook - Aiden
Byrne: Made in Great Britain published by
New Holland in September 2008. He has also made
several TV appearances, including BBC's Saturday
Kitchen, MasterChef and
Food Poker, and UKTV's Market
Kitchen. Aiden competed to represent the
North West in the BBC's Great British Menu,
and appeared on BBC1's The Money Programme in
The Rise of the Superchef.
For written instructions please scroll
down the page
HOW
TO COOK A WHOLE SALMON
With
this method of cooking a whole salmon, you don’t
need a fish kettle – you simply bake the
fish in a parcel in the oven. Here’s how
to create this classic buffet centrepiece.
Ingredients
2.5kg salmon, gutted
1 lemon, thickly sliced
4 bay leaves
1 fennel head, thickly sliced
Handful whole black peppercorns
Handful flat-leaf parsley
1 glass dry white wine
Salad:
1 cucumber, finely sliced
1 bag watercress
1 head fennel, finely sliced
Few sprigs dill, finely sliced
½ tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Squeeze lemon juice
Method
Step
1
Ask your fishmonger to gut the whole salmon to save
you a messy job. Wash the fish and pat dry with
kitchen paper, then cut off the fins so they don’t
burn in the oven. If the salmon is too long for
the roasting tray, cleanly cut off the head and
tail with a sharp knife.
Step
2
Fill the cavity of the fish with the sliced lemon
and fennel and bay leaves. Scrunch up a piece of
tin foil and push into the cavity. This will help
the fish stand upright in the roasting tray and
on the serving plate.
Step
3
Lay out two long sheets of tin foil and spread the
top one with butter. Scatter with the rest of the
lemon slices, black peppercorns and parsley. Put
the fish on top then gather up the sides of the
foil. Pour in the wine then fold the edges of the
foil together to seal tightly. Lay the parcel onto
a roasting tray, curving the fish a little to fit
in it. Put into a pre-heated oven at 220°C /
200°C fan / Gas 7 and cook for 30 - 40 minutes.
Step
4
When the fish is cooked through, lift it out of
the foil onto a chopping board. While it’s still
warm, carefully remove the skin on one side with
a blunt knife, working from the top of the head
to the tail. Repeat on the other side until all
skin is removed.
Serves:
8 - 10
Preparation
time: 10 minutes
Cooking
time: 30-40 mins
COOK
SMART TIP: A
simple test to see if fish is cooked through is
to carefully insert a knife into the middle of
the fish. Hold the knife against your hand and
if it feels hot, it’s ready.
Step
5
Make the salad by mixing together the cucumber,
watercress, fennel and dill. Dress with white wine
vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice then season to
taste. Lay out on a large plate then position the
fish on top. Serve warm or cold.
One
of the Britain's most talented chefs, Aiden Byrne's
career has matured in the company of high-profile
chefs including Tom Aikens, Paul Rankin and David
Adlard. 
Ingredients
