Roasted Salmon with Lemon Walnut Relish
Touted for its rich Omega-3 fatty acid content, salmon is an easy and frequently fast meal to bring to the table. Look for wild-caught salmon when possible for even higher omega-3 content. Adding seasonal veggies, nuts and lemon makes this recipe a deeply nourishing and tasty meal.
Roasted Salmon with Lemon Walnut Relish
Author: Erica Leazenby, MD, Adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Serves: 4
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
4 4-6 oz pieces of wild-caught salmon
¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup raisins
1 lemon, peel and juice
Hot water
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parsley for garnish (optional)
Suggested accompaniments:
Roasted veggies like asparagus and carrots
Bed of spinach
Brown rice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the walnuts on a sheet pan and toast for 4-6 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant. After removing the nuts from the oven place them on a clean dish towel and gently rub the nuts together to remove the skins. Remove the nuts from the towel carefully to leave the skins behind. Set aside.
While the nuts are toasting, peel the lemon using a vegetable peeler. Slice the peel into thin strips and place them in a small heat-proof bowl with the raisins. Pour enough hot water over the mixture to just cover the ingredients (usually ½ cup or less) and set aside.
Preheat a cast iron skillet or other oven-proof pan to medium high heat. Season the salmon with salt, pepper and a thin layer of olive or avocado oil. Once the skillet is hot (a drop of water will sizzle on contact), place the salmon skin side up on the skillet. Let the fish sear for approximately 3 minutes undisturbed. Flip the salmon and place the skillet in the oven. Bake the salmon until the center is still pink yet the flesh flakes apart. This will take about 10 minutes of total cooking time per inch thickness of fish (1-inch-thick = 10 minutes total sear and bake time, 1.5-inch-thick = 15 minutes, etc.)
While the salmon is baking, drain the lemon and raisin mixture. To the drained mixture add the juice of the lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and walnuts. Adjust seasoning to taste.
To serve, top the salmon with a generous spoonful of the relish and a sprinkle of parsley. Enjoy.
For a twist on this recipe, try Pomegranate Walnut Relish.