When you’re committed to serving a whole side of salmon (which looks spectacular), the process can be nerve wracking. Overcooked salmon? No-one likes that. And if you’re going the traditional hot-baked route there’s very little margin for error; fish can go from delectable to disastrous in minutes flat. NO PRESSURE! Enter this more chillaxed way to cook a big lump of gorgeous, pink-fleshed fish – the slow roast. Or more correctly, the ‘low’ roast, as 20-ish minutes in the oven barely qualifies as ‘slow’. But it’s all relative.

To cook it, the salmon sits on a lightly oiled roasting tray, skin-off and slathered lightly with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Then, it roasts at the relatively gentle heat of a 165˚C (150˚C fan-forced) oven, only taking 20 minutes for a 900g-1kg side. Or 25 if, like us, you’re a bit nervous about bringing it to the table too pink in the middle because yes, we have fussy eaters at ours. Who prefer everything cooked all the way through; yawn. The time also depends on how thick your fish is and therefore the overall size/weight; it could take a bit longer so allow 5-10 minutes extra if your fillet is 1.25 or 1.5kg respectively.

The most accurate way to gauge if your fish is cooked is to use a digital thermometer. The internal temperature through the thickest part should be 60˚C for cooked through, but still juicy. Or 50-55˚C for medium-rare to medium. Failing this, you can always get in there with a small, sharp knife and rummage around to see what the flesh is doing (gently pull the flakes apart to see if the thickest part is ready). The good thing with this dish is you can cover any excavation holes with a few walnuts and pieces of dried tomato when you serve... your secrets are safe with us!

While your salmon does its slow cooking thing, you whip up a lovely vinaigrette using sundried tomatoes, mustard, honey, white balsamic and some of the sun dried tomato oil scooped out of the jar, then you spoon this over the hot fish. (If you don’t have enough tomato oil, just use more EVOO or some walnut oil if you happen to have some of that hanging around. In which case, lucky you.) Scatter over some roasted walnuts, thyme, or chopped parsley if you prefer, then hoe in. The trickiest part of the whole operation is transferring the salmon intact to a warmed serving platter; get under the fish gently with a wide spatula to loosen it from the tray, then gently slide it off onto your serving plate in one fell swoop. We have our favourite swear words on standby for this bit as we find they really, really help. And hey, if the breaks a little, no matter. It will still taste fabulous.

SERVES 6

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1kg side of salmon, pin boned and skin off

1 slightly heaped tsp smoked paprika

a few thyme sprigs

Sun Dried Tomato Dressing

2½ tbsp honey

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped

3 tbsp white balsamic or white wine vinegar

3 tbsp sundried tomato oil, (from the jar)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

5-6 large sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped, or to taste

50g (⅓ cup) toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped, or to taste

thyme leaves, for scattering

Preheat the oven to 150˚C fan forced or 165˚C conventional. 

Brush a large roasting tray lightly with some of the olive oil, then place the salmon, skin side down, on the tray. Tuck the thinnest part of the tail under the fillet so the salmon is more or less even thickness the length of the side. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, then sprinkle over the smoked paprika, using your fingers to spread it over the surface. Season the fish well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then scatter over sprigs of thyme. Bake the fish for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through the thickest part to your liking.

While the fish is baking, make the dressing. Combine the honey, mustard, garlic and vinegar in a bowl and whisk to combine well. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oils until an emulsified dressing forms; alternatively, make the dressing by shaking everything together in a jar, or by processing in a small food processor. Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomato, then taste and season with salt and pepper. 

Transfer the cooked salmon to a warmed serving platter, using the colourful expletives of your choice. Spoon over the dressing, scatter with walnuts and thyme leaves to taste, then serve.