Baked Whole Salmon With Shrimp Parsley Sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Wash and dry salmon under running water, making sure all scales are removed (scrape sides of fish with a serrated knife). Remove head and tail if the fish is too long to fit on a cookie sheet.

Place salmon on heavy-duty aluminum foil, which is about six inches longer than twice as long as the fish. Salt and pepper inside the cavity. Smear butter along the top side of fish. Pour wine and lemon juice over fish.

Bring aluminum foil down over fish and seal on all sides. Bake for 30 minutes per inch thickness of fish. For example, if fish are two inches thick at their thickest point, they are baked for one hour. While fish bakes, prepare sauce.

For Sauce: Melt butter, stir in flour, salt and pepper to make a roux. Add cream and mix. Heat slowly in microwave, whisking sauce frequently to prevent lumps.

When sauce has boiled and thickened, stir in parsley and shrimp. Let sit for a few minutes to let flavors blend.

When fish has completed cooking, remove from oven and peel back top layer of foil. Drain all juices. Carefully remove top skin, and remove fillets of fish, breaking into serving size pieces.

(Placing a spatula into the mid-line of the fish and sliding under the flesh first towards the top of the fish, and then repeating toward the bottom gives nicely sized pieces. When the top flesh has been removed, carefully lift out the intact backbone and ribs. Recover fish with aluminum foil, and flip the package over onto another cookie sheet, then repeat the skinning and filleting process with the second side of the fish.)

Place fillets on heated serving platter and surround with lemon slices. Reheat sauce, if required, and serve with filleted salmon.