Cookery: Main event!

Not a fan of turkey or just fancy a change? Check out these delicious alternatives

If you want an alternative to turkey, or a fantastic centrepiece for Boxing Day with the leftover veg, this is it!

Serves: 8-10 Prep time : 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins

FOR THE STUFFING

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 300g pack mushrooms, chopped Few stalks of dill, leaves finely chopped Few fresh thyme stalks, leaves finely chopped

500g bag spinach leaves, roughly chopped, or use watercress

2 salmon sides, with skin (about 700g). Ask your fishmonger for the chunky end – you can choose how large you want it, depending on how many you are feeding.

Drizzle of olive oil 2 lemons, one sliced, and one cut into wedges

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced lengthways

YOU WILL NEED String (optional)

1 Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas 5. First, make the stuffing: heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and season well. Cook for 2-3 mins until soft, then stir in the garlic and cook for 1 min. Stir through the mushrooms, dill, thyme and spinach leaves and cook until leaves wilt. Then remove from heat and put to one side to cool. 2 Trim the salmon tail, if needed (you can bag and freeze for a fish pie at a later date). Score the skin of each salmon side and sprinkle with sea salt. Sit one side, skin-down, in a large roasting tin. Spread with the mushroom mixture, then top with the other salmon piece, skin-side up. Tie up with string, if using, then drizzle with the oil, sit lemon slices and wedges on top and scatter the fennel pieces around the fish. 3 Cover loosely with foil and bake in oven for about 25-40 mins, or until fish is cooked all the way through (time varies depending on thickness of salmon). Don’t overcook, as it will continue cooking as you remove it from the oven. Leave it covered in foil and leave to rest for 10-15 mins. Transfer to a serving platter with the fennel and lemon and serve.