Usually, I am a high-heat roaster. No matter what protein or vegetable is destined for the oven, I turn the knob upward of 400 degrees, and wing it from there. The more caramelization I’m after, the higher the heat I set it to, with the exact temperature depending on the size of the pieces and my patience for cooking them.
This gently roasted salmon is a notable exception.
Here, I’m not looking for golden edges and crisp skin. What I want is velvety soft flesh imbued with flavor. The fish should fall into silky, pink chunks when your fork breaks into a fillet, without any browning to distract from its suppleness. The final dish has all the charm of a salmon confit, except that it takes half as long to cook, and uses a lot less oil.
To add flavor to the salmon and to insulate it from any possible hot spots at the bottom of the pan, I set the fillets on a bed of thinly sliced fennel. The fennel roasts along with the fish, softening slightly. The thinner you cut it, the more tender it will become. So if you have a mandoline in one of your kitchen drawers, now would be a good time to unearth it. Or practice your knife skills with your sharpest blade; transparency is your goal.
Slivered fennel, tossed with lime juice and olive oil, serves as a fresh slawlike salad.CreditAndrew Scrivani for The New York Times
I like to serve more slivered fennel on the side as a slawlike salad, tossed with fresh lime juice and olive oil. It’s a bright, tangy counterpart to the richness of the fish.
If you can, try to find a fennel bulb with luxuriant fronds to chop up for the salad, so it can be both vegetable and herb. But if you can find only shorn fennel bulbs, some chopped parsley or dill will work just as well, adding color and freshness.
If you have any salmon leftover, save it, covered in oil, in the refrigerator for up to five days. Then use it to top salads, or crostini, or to make into a salmon sandwich with minced scallion and lots of mayonnaise (think tuna salad, but using salmon instead).
The leftovers are so good you could even double the recipe, roasting eight fillets instead of four. Then the next time you want to eat gently roasted salmon, you won’t have to turn on the oven at all.
