Salmon

For a fillet about 2–3 cm thick, bake at 200 °C for 10–15 minutes, until it flakes easily and the centre reaches 63 °C. Let it rest for a couple of minutes; it will continue cooking gently.

Yes: the skin helps protect the flesh from drying out. For crisp skin, pat it dry, place it skin-side down in a lightly oiled hot pan and cook for most of the time; turn it briefly to finish.

Keep it covered in the coldest part of the fridge and cook it within one or two days of buying it. Freeze it if you will not use it in that time, and thaw it in the fridge rather than on the worktop.

Yes. Bake frozen fillets at 200 °C for about 20–25 minutes, checking that the centre is fully cooked and flakes easily. For more even cooking, thaw them overnight in the fridge first.

Use cooked salmon in fishcakes, a fish pie or a pasta sauce, or flake it into a salad. Smoked salmon works well with scrambled eggs, rye bread and dill.

Only use salmon sold as suitable for raw eating, and keep it chilled until serving. Freezing can control parasites, but ordinary freezing at home may not reach the required conditions; cooking it thoroughly is the safer choice.

For a similar rich texture, trout is a good substitute; use the same cooking method and start checking it a little earlier if the pieces are thinner. For a milder, leaner fish, try sole, though it cooks much faster.

Yes: salmon has 20 g of protein per 100 g, compared with 17.1 g in sardines.