Whole poached salmon

[debka]

Got to serve whole poached salmon for 26 people. How much do you think I will need? And should I get it boned/unboned? If I get it boned, how easy is it to bone it and still look pretty? I am a fairly competent cook .

Debka, I have never done one, but I remember my mother doing one for my 21st, 30 years ago. I think you will find that it could fall apart more easily if you have it boned. It is fairly easy to take the meat of the bone when serving.

The best thing (after cooking, and cooling) is is to remove the skin from the body. It looks nice if you leave it on the head and tail. Then run your fish server along the top/back of the fish, and then along the mid line. You can then serve the fish from one side of the mid line or the other. You shouldn't need to cut it as it should flake off easily enough. It should mean that you leave the fish skeleton behind on the serving dish. The head is quite useful as a weight to hold that end of the fish in place.

Thanks!

I do it often for big parties. Get the fishmonger to gut it but leave the scales on. I stuff the middle with dill, fennel and lemon, wrap it in foil and steam roast it in the oven by putting it on a rack over a roasting pan and filling the roasting pan with boiled water. When it's cooked the skin lifts off really easily because the scales have formed a shell.

I don't bother to debone it as it carves up pretty easily when the salmon is that big. You cut precut the slices and then cheat if it looks messy by slicing lemons and cucumber in the magi mix really fine and laying rows of them all over the salmon. It looks great and hides any imperfections. Not sure on cooking times though - you'd have to look those up.