Salmon

Bake salmon fillets at 200 °C for about 12–15 minutes, depending on their thickness. It is cooked when the flesh flakes easily and the centre reaches 63 °C.

Pat the salmon dry and heat a little oil in a non-stick or well-seasoned pan. Cook it skin-side down over medium heat without moving it for 5–7 minutes, then turn it and cook for another 2–4 minutes.

Yes. Bake it from frozen at 200 °C for about 20–25 minutes, checking that the centre reaches 63 °C; add a few minutes if the fillet is thick. For more even cooking, thaw it overnight in the fridge first.

Keep raw salmon covered on the coldest shelf and cook it within 1–2 days of buying it. Refrigerate cooked salmon promptly in a sealed container and eat it within 3–4 days.

Salmon works particularly well with lemon, dill, mustard and capers. Serve it with new potatoes and green vegetables, or flake it into a fish pie, pasta or a rice bowl.

Trout is a close substitute: it has a similarly delicate flavour and cooks in much the same way, though it is leaner, with 6.78 g fat per 100 g compared with 12 g in salmon. For a firmer, meatier fish, use cod, allowing for its different cooking time.

Raw salmon is used in sushi and sashimi, but choose fish specifically prepared for raw eating and keep it chilled until serving. Freezing can control parasites, but it does not remove all food-safety risks.