Cooked over an open fire

Fish tastic!

Are you familiar with salt crusting? It’s a simple, unique and delicious way of preparing meat or fish. Our recipe calls for a whole fish covered in an egg-white-and-salt crust. When camping, simply prepare your fish, place it on a cooking tray over an open fire, cover it and you’re done! You and your fellow campers will be delighted with the tender and flaky fish hiding beneath the humble salty crust. For an extra-special meal, garnish with toasted nuts, fried parsley and a yogourt-and-lemon sauce. A successful meal, guaranteed!

Salt-crushed salmon

Preparation: 35 minutes

Cooking: 40 to 45 minutes

Cost per serving: About $12.50

8 servings

1 whole salmon (or Arctic char) about 2.5 kg (5.5 lb), cleaned and scaled

2 medium onions, sliced

1 lemon, washed and sliced

1 orange, washed and sliced

1 L (4 cups) kosher salt

9 egg whites

500 mL (2 cups) plain yogourt

2 candied lemons, finely chopped

250 mL (1 cup) olive oil

250 mL (1 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped

250 mL (1 cup) Italian parsley

Freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). 2. Open the fish cavity and stuff it with the onion and citrus slices. 3. Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

4. In a food processor bowl, combine the kosher salt and egg whites, and pulse until a light paste, about 30 seconds. 5. On a baking sheet, spread a layer of the salt paste to a thickness of about 1.5 cm (3/4 in) in the shape of the fish. 6. Place the fish on top and cover completely with the rest of the paste. 7. Make sure there are no gaps.

8. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish reads 48°C to 51°C (120°F to 125°F). 9. In a bowl, mix together the yogourt and candied lemon. Season with pepper and set aside. 10. In a skillet on medium-high, heat the oil. 11. Lightly brown the walnuts and transfer to a bowl. 12. In the same skillet, fry the parsley and then stir it into the fried walnuts. 13. Set aside. 14. Take the fish from the oven, break the salt crust with a wooden spoon and carefully remove the fish from it. 15. Serve with the yogourt sauce and garnish with the walnut-parsley mixture.

What to drink with this salmon?

Salmon is a fish that has a delicate flavour and moist texture. White wines bearing the Fruity and Vibrant taste tag will present a nice contrast to salmon’s richness. This recipe has flavours of lemon and orange, which are divine when paired with wines that have citrus notes — including some Bordeaux and blends that have a high percentage of Sauvignon. Wine made using the Galician region’s Albarino grape (native to the Spanish northwest) are known for their freshness and expressiveness — two characteristics that are a perfect pairing with this salmon.