Mark Hix recipe: Salmon cooked in rapeseed oil with asparagus and wild garlic

Serves 4

Salmon with asparagus and wild garlic (Jason Lowe)

Cooking fish in oil at a low temperature is rather like poaching it in a court bouillon, except you get a bit more flavour into the fish this way. Plus, the oil that you have used can be made into a simple dressing, kept in the fridge for use next time, or added to egg yolks to make a hollandaise or mayonnaise.

4 portions of salmon weighing about 150-160g each, boned and skinned
250-300ml rapeseed oil
1tsp fennel seeds
A couple of sprigs of thyme
10 black peppercorns
1tsp flaky sea salt
8 or so spears of asparagus, with the woody ends removed
A handful of wild garlic leaves, washed

Put the rapeseed oil into a saucepan which is large enough to hold all the salmon fillets. Add the fennel seeds, thyme, peppercorns and salt. Put the pan on a low heat for 4-5 minutes.

Now add the salmon fillets and cover with a lid and remove from the heat. Cook the asparagus separately in boiling, salted water for 4-5 minutes, or until tender, then drain in a colander.

Cut the asparagus into 3 pieces on the angle and place in a saucepan with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooking oil and the wild garlic leaves.

Season and heat for a minute, stirring until the wild garlic leaves are just starting to wilt.

To serve, transfer to warm serving plates.