Usually, I am a high-heat roaster. No matter what protein or vegetable is destined for the oven, I turn the knob upward of 400 degrees, and wing it from there. The more caramelization I’m after, the higher the heat I set it to, with the exact temperature depending on the size of the pieces and my patience for cooking them.

This gently roasted salmon is a notable exception.

Here, I’m not looking for golden edges and crisp skin. What I want is velvety soft flesh imbued with flavor. The fish should fall into silky, pink chunks when your fork breaks into a fillet, without any browning to distract from its suppleness.

The final dish has all the charm of a salmon confit, except that it takes half as long to cook, and uses a lot less oil.

To add flavor to the salmon and to insulate it from any possible hot spots at the bottom of the pan, I set the fillets on a bed of thinly sliced fennel. The fennel roasts along with the fish, softening slightly. The thinner you cut it, the more tender it will become. So if you have a mandoline in one of your kitchen drawers, now would be a good time to unearth it. Or practice your knife skills with your sharpest blade; transparency is your goal.

I like to serve more slivered fennel on the side as a slawlike salad, tossed with fresh lime juice and olive oil. It’s a bright, tangy counterpart to the richness of the fish.

If you can, try to find a fennel bulb with luxuriant fronds to chop up for the salad, so it can be both vegetable and herb. But if you can find only shorn fennel bulbs, some chopped parsley or dill will work just as well, adding color and freshness.

If you have any salmon left over, save it, covered in oil, in the refrigerator for up to five days. Then use it to top salads, or crostini, or to make into a salmon sandwich with minced scallion and lots of mayonnaise (think tuna salad, but using salmon instead).

The leftovers are so good you could even double the recipe, roasting eight fillets instead of four. Then the next time you want to eat gently roasted salmon, you won’t have to turn on the oven at all.

ROASTED SALMON WITH FENNEL AND LIME

By Melissa Clark, New York Times

• 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
• 1 large fennel bulb, with fronds
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 6 fresh marjoram or thyme sprigs
• Flaky sea salt, for serving

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Finely grate zest from 1 lime into a small bowl. Add fennel seeds, salt and pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle mixture all over salmon.

Remove fennel fronds from bulb; reserve to use later. Trim fennel bulb, discarding stalks, and slice bulb thinly using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Spread half the fennel slices in a baking dish in an even layer and drizzle with oil. Arrange salmon on top.

Slice second lime into thin rounds and lay slices on top of the salmon. Tuck marjoram around the salmon and drizzle salmon generously with more olive oil.

Roast until salmon is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. (Thinner fillets may take less time, so start checking for doneness at 10 minutes.)

Meanwhile, make a fennel salad: Chop reserved fennel fronds to make 1/4 cup. Toss fronds and remaining fennel slices with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Juice the first, zested lime and add some of the juice to the fennel, to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside to serve with salmon.

When the salmon is done, drizzle it with more lime juice and sprinkle with salt. Serve with the fennel salad on top and the roast fennel on the side, if you like. Serves 4.

Nutritional information unavailable.

© 2019 The New York Times Company