Alaska salmon with cherry tomato salad recipe

This Alaska salmon with cherry tomato salad recipe by Francesco Mazzei is the perfect dinner choice if you’re after something super-healthy that’ll keep you full, too.

Serves 4

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the salmon

4 Alaska salmon fillets, each 180g in weight

40g of celery, cut into 4

1 Spanish onion, quartered

5g of fennel seeds

25ml of white wine

1 lemon, zested

Salt

For the salad

500g of cherry tomatoes, red and yellow

500g of datterino tomato, red and yellow

30g of basil

250ml of extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

15g of black fennel seeds

Salt

To serve:

12 caper berries

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

1 red onion, small

Method:

1. Start by making the poaching liquor for the Alaska salmon; add 2 litres of water to a saucepan with the celery, Spanish onion, fennel seeds, white wine and the lemon zest. Bring the mixture up to a boil then turn down the heat and keep at a gentle simmer.

2. Carefully lower the salmon fillets into the water, which should just be simmering. Leave for 8-9 minutes, remove the salmon with a slotted spoon, putting each piece on to a plate. Carefully remove the skin of the fillets. Put the skin to one side and keep the poaching water to later reheat the salmon.

3. Sandwich the skins between 2 pieces of parchment paper. If you have access to a plancha, then press the parchment paper onto the hot plancha with a heavy pan on top of it to keep it flat. Allow this to cook for 2 minutes then turn over and repeat on the over side. Take the skins out of the paper and season with salt. Allow to cool.

4. If you do not have a plancha: still sandwich the skins in the paper, then place between two baking trays to hold in place. Cook the skins sandwiched between the tins in a preheated oven for 180°C/gas mark 4 for 15-20. Take them out of the oven and check if the skins are crispy. If they are not then return to the oven for a further 5 minutes, otherwise season with salt and set aside to cool.

5. For the tomato salad; use a sharp knife to make 2 small, shallow incisions into the skin of each of the tomatoes, forming a small cross at the base.

6. Put a pan of water on to boil. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 5-10 seconds, just enough to loosen the skin. Drain the pan and refresh in ice cold water. Carefully take off and discard the skin. Season the tomatoes with a pinch of salt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, black fennel seeds and basil.

7. Retrieve the reserved poaching liquor and bring it back to a simmer. Gently place the salmon fillets back into the water for 1-2 minutes, just to warm them through, being careful not to overcook.

8. To serve; slice the red onions in to small rings, add these to the tomato salad and toss to combine. Divide the salad between the plates followed by the warm salmon, crispy skin, caper berries and parsley leaves. Drizzle over the dressing from the tomatoes and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Great British Chefs. Visit their site for more Alaska salmon recipes.