Njord's Recipe: Salmon Baked in a Salt Dome
Note: This recipe is made with
Alaska wild-caught salmon, a fish that migrates from salt to fresh water every
year. However, any good-sized fish can be substituted. The ideal would be a
fish that you caught yourself, though.
1 wild-caught Alaska salmon
4 egg whites
½ cup water
2 3-lb. boxes of salt
Handful of herbs—parsley, marjoram, what you have on hand
1 fennel bulb, (with stem) quartered
Several sprigs thyme
Pan lined with tinfoil, big enough for the fish to lay flat
Rinse fish inside and out with cold water, drain and wipe dry, and stuff with herbs. You can rub it with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle more herbs on the outside if you like, but it shouldn’t drip much.
Pour 1 box of salt into a large bowl, add egg whites and water, then the second box of salt. Use your hands to work the mixture to a mortar-like consistency, and then lay down a ½" layer for the fish with a 1-inch clearance on all sides. Lay the fish on this bed and pile the remainder of the salt mortar on top, making a smooth dome that completely encases the fish.
Cook for between 30 and 45 minutes depending on your oven, at around 450 degrees. It’s hard to check for doneness, because you don’t want to mess up the dome. Some people like to use one of those instant-read thermometers stuck periodically into a hole in the dome. The ideal would be getting the inside to 130 degrees, but if you’re doing this over a campfire, you might want to leave the tail sticking out and use it as a way to test (with a small sharp knife) if the inside is done.
Opening the salt dome can be done at the table, with a hammer and a great flourish to break the dome. Lift off the slabs of salt, brush off the fish, and either carve it or let your guests hack into it themselves. If you want to be impressive, slit it and lift the skeleton out entirely. If it’s cooked enough, it should come right out. This is an excellent Njord’s Blot main dish.