This Salmon with warm Romesco salad is inspired by the famous Catalonian Romesco sauce – a blend of roasted capsicums, garlic, almonds, sherry vinegar and sometimes tomatoes.
The sweetness of the roasted capsicum and tomato combined with the crunch of the almonds and the sharpness of the vinegar is a perfect foil for the smooth lushness of salmon. However, this salad would work equally well with tuna or firm white fish such as swordfish.
Roasting the salmon and salad ingredients together in the oven is as easy as it is scrumptious, however you can prepare this recipe on the stovetop or even on the barbeque. For best results you should toast the almonds and bread cubes separately first and combine with the other cooked salad ingredients and vinegar just prior to serving.
Finally, sliced chorizo is optional – include if you are seeking a more substantial meal or omit if you’d prefer something lighter.
Servings: 6
Preparation and Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
6 (180g each) salmon fillets, pin boned
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
Romesco Salad
1 (200g) medium capsicum, cut in 2cm dice
250g punnet cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 (120g) crusty bread roll, cut into 3cm dice
½ red onion, sliced
2/3 cup (110g) blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
140g chorizo, sliced thinly – optional
1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).
- For Romaesco salad, place diced capsicum on a lined baking tray and roast for 5 minutes. Add remaining salad ingredients, mix well and roast for a further 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, place salmon fillets on another lined baking tray skin side down. Season with salt and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for a few minutes.
- Combine sherry or red wine vinegar with roasted salad ingredients and mix well.
- Serve salad topped with salmon.
Lyndey’s Note: if your salmon has the skin on, try this technique for crisping the skin as an additional garnis.
King Salmon Wrapped in Prosciutto with Asparagus, Crisp Capers, “Wafer” of Skin and Soft Polenta
Watch Lyndey make super easy Salmon with Smashed Potatoes in 1 minute on Youtube.