Clementines transport me to my childhood days. I love them in cakes, sorbets, jellies, jams or, as here, baked with a delicious whole salmon fillet with citrus vodka and honey, roasted with fennel that turns sweet and caramelised. Serve with dollops of dill crème fraîche.

Serves 6-8
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the salmon:

4 tbsp olive oil

1 kg whole salmon fillet, pin boned

1–2 tsp chilli (hot pepper) flakes

4 tbsp chopped dill

1 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed

A pinch of Cornish sea salt

2 fennel bulbs with fronds

2 tbsp lemon juice

For the glaze:

Zest and juice of 4 clementines or 2 oranges

100ml citrus vodka

6 tbsp runny honey

3 star anise

3 bay leaves

3 clementines, unpeeled and cut into thin slices

For the dill crème fraiche:

500g crème fraîche

4 tbsp finely chopped dill, plus extra to garnish

1 tbsp lemon juice

Cornish sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7). Line a baking tray with baking parchment and brush it with olive oil.
• Place the salmon on the prepared tray, skin-side down. Brush the salmon with more olive oil and season with the chilli flakes, dill, crushed pink peppercorns and sea salt.
• Trim the fennel, remove any tough outer layers and cut into thin slices with the fronds. Place in a bowl and toss with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and more sea salt. Place the dressed fennel around the salmon ready to bake.
• Make the dill crème fraîche by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl with plenty of sea salt and black pepper. Always taste and consider.
• To make the glaze, put the clementine zest, juice, vodka, honey, star anise and bay leaves in a pan and simmer until reduced by half. Add the sliced clementines and simmer for a further 5 minutes until softened. Remove the clementine slices and set aside. Reduce the sauce until glossy, then pour it over the salmon fillet.
• Bake the salmon and fennel in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and lay the candied clementine slices down the centre of the fillet. Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
• Serve as a centrepiece on your table, with the dill crème fraîche on the side

Adapted from  Time and Tide  (Quadrille)