Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Select a baking sheet large enough to accommodate the fish. Lay out a long double length of heavy-duty aluminum foil on top of the baking sheet. Place the cleaned salmon in the center of the foil and add the carrot, onion, shallots, celery, thyme, salt to taste, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaf and wine. Bring up the edges of the foil and seal as compactly and tightly as possible.

Place the fish in the oven and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour. At the end of 50 minutes, loosen foil and test for doneness. The fish is cooked when the back center fin can be easily removed when pulled with fingers. Remove from the oven.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

Before baking the fish, measure it to make certain it will fit in the oven. It may be baked when placed diagonally to obtain more space. If the fish will not fit with the head left on, it will be necessary to cut it off. The head may be used for soup or discarded. The meat from a poached fish head also may be used cold in salads.

(Although "baked" salmon cooked in this fashion provides a close approximation to "poaching". The finished delicious product may be served hot - with Sauce au Vin Blanc, recipe follows - or cold with Dill-and-Cucumber Mayonnaise, recipe follows.)

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