Whole Salmon

Cooking a whole salmon intimidates a lot of home cooks. It shouldn’t. This foil-pack method is about as foolproof as fish gets, and the result lands somewhere between backyard grill and fancy dinner party centerpiece.

The cavity stuffing is a workhorse, not a side dish. Sliced potatoes, onions, and lemon absorb the salmon’s rich oils as it cooks, which seasons the fish from the inside and keeps the flesh from drying near the bone. Those aromatics get discarded after cooking. They’ve done their job.

Chablis in the foil pouch creates steam, which is the real cooking medium here. The wine’s bright acidity cuts through the fat, and the sealed environment means no dry edges, even on the thin tail end. This technique works just as well on a covered grill as it does in the oven.

Chef Tips

• Pat the fish bone dry inside and out. Water sitting on the skin dilutes the wine steam and slows the cook.
• Check for doneness at the thickest part behind the head. The flesh should just begin to flake and look opaque. Anything more and it’s past.
• Save the foil juices. They make a stellar base for a quick pan sauce with butter and fresh herbs.

Variations

• Use Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or dry Riesling in place of Chablis. The rule is: if you’d drink it, you can cook with it.
• Tuck fresh dill, tarragon, or fennel fronds into the cavity alongside the aromatics for an herb-perfumed finish.
• Rub the skin with olive oil and coarse salt before wrapping to get a seasoned, almost cured exterior through the foil.