Fresh salmon with fennel, potatoes and brown butter

Tam West

Ingredients

25 g	Butter
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 medium	Leek, trimmed and well washed
2	Fennel bulbs, trimmed and very finely sliced (a mandolin is good here), fronds reserved and chopped
100 ml	White wine
12 small	Potatoes, scrubbed (Main)
600 g	Fresh salmon fillet, boned (from the thickest end of the salmon fillet) (Main)

For the brown butter

25 g	Butter
½	Lemons, use the juice only

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C. Line a shallow baking tray with baking paper, leaving some overhang as you are going to wrap the salmon in this paper case.
2. Place the butter and oil in a heavy-based saucepan and gently heat. Very finely slice the white and light green part of the leek and place in the warm butter and oil, along with the fennel. Cook gently until the vegetables are tender, then season with salt. Add 50ml of the measured wine and cook for a further 5 minutes until the wine has evaporated and the vegetables are completely cooked. Keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until tender.
4. Place the salmon on the paper, drizzle over the remaining wine and season with a little salt. Cover salmon with paper, twisting the edges together so you have a sealed package. If you have difficulty with sealing, then cover the tray in foil as well.
5. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. Remember the salmon will keep cooking a little after being removed from the oven.
6. To make the brown butter, place the butter in a small frying pan and cook until the milk solids turn a nut brown. Carefully add the lemon juice and swirl the pan to combine.
7. To serve, place the cooked salmon, in its paper, on a large plate. Open up the paper. Add the chopped fennel fronds to the leek and fennel mixture and spoon over the salmon. Roughly cut the potatoes in half and place around the salmon. Drizzle over the brown butter.