Whole Salt-Baked Salmon Recipe

Preheat your oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 6). Take a baking tray or dish large enough to hold the salmon comfortably, and double-line it with foil, then oil the foil lightly with the sunflower oil. Tip the egg whites into a very large mixing bowl and whisk them to soft peaks, then mix in the salt. Put enough of the salt-egg mix on the foil-lined tray to make a thick base for the salmon, then sit the fish carefully on top and tuck the lemon slices and thyme into the cavity. Spread the rest of the salt mix all over the fish (leaving the head and tail free), using your hands to pack it firmly and thickly around the whole body; when exposed to the heat of the oven, the salt will quickly bake hard to form a hard shell around the fish, steaming the meat to perfection while helping to keep it moist and allowing maximum flavour to permeate from the bones.  

Put the prepared salmon into the hot oven and cook for at least 60 minutes before checking (if the salmon is cooked, a metal skewer inserted through the salt crust into the thickest part of the fish will come out warm after five seconds). If you’re unsure, err on the side of cooking longer and checking again, as the salt crust will do a good job of preventing the fish from becoming too dry.
When the salmon is done, take it out of the oven and let it rest in the crust for half an hour. When you are ready to serve, tap the crust gently to break it, then remove it in chunks and discard (it is quite good fun to do this at the table, but be aware that the salt crust tends to make a bit of a mess!) Gently peel the skin away from the salmon, then put the fish on a serving plate with the lemon wedges and take it to the table.