The wild salmon season has started and I look forward to trying to secure at least one or two for the restaurant. Wild Irish salmon are not the easiest to come by, unless you know a good fisherman with a commercial licence. But these seem to be even scarcer than the salmon itself. Understandably, this is due to the number of salmon in our rivers. We can catch them, it seems, but only for ourselves.

Salmon is best served poached or cured, in my opinion. I’ve seen many a crime committed against this poor fish in the frying pan. It just doesn’t take intensive heat and seems to burst out of itself when baked. I prefer to poach it in barely simmering water. Of course, you can flavour the water with all sorts of aromatics, such as herbs, seaweed or vegetables. But the most important thing to remember is not to cloud the flavour of the fish with too many competing flavours. Focus on one or two and in that way the fish will sing. Simplicity is key.

Dill or fennel

To cure the salmon combine 300g of sugar with 200g of salt. Toss in some finely chopped dill or fennel for a classic cure or some milled dry nori for something a bit more adventurous. Spread the mix over both sides of the side of salmon and place in the fridge for 36 hours. After this rinse off the cure and your salmon is ready to go. Slice thinly and serve with some sheep’s yoghurt (velvet cloud is my favourite) and a few crisp, bitter leaves. If you must pan-fry your salmon, place skin side down in a hot pan with some oil. When your skin is crispy, transfer to a 100-degree oven for 10 minutes. I like my salmon to still have a translucency in the centre.

Raw wild salmon is a beautiful treat, dressed with a little extra virgin rapeseed oil and some apple cider vinegar. If you have never tried it, I hope you do add it to your bucket list as it’s an exceptional treat. Eating raw for the first time is not like a solo parachute jump. It’s definitely a lot easier.