Moroccan-crusted salmon with asparagus

Try out this Moroccan-crusted salmon with asparagus recipe at your next dinner party. It’s fairly simple to prepare, but it looks really impressive and also tastes delicious. Being such a healthy dish, it’s also a good choice for those who are trying to ‘eat clean’!

As a wine recommendation, Dawn Davies, Sommelier at Selfridges in London suggests the following wine to go with this recipe: Cape Mentelle Sauvignon/Semillon, from Waitrose.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the salmon

1tsp crushed cumin seeds

1tsp crushed coriander seeds

1tsp sesame seeds

1tsp smoked paprika

1tsp allspice

1tsp soft light muscovado sugar

Small bunch parsley roughly chopped

Salt and cracked black pepper

4 pieces of salmon fillet, scales removed

4tbsp olive oil

For the salad

2 bundles of asparagus trimmed

1 preserved lemon, seeds and flesh removed (Look out for Belazu preserved lemon available in Sainsbury, Waitrose and some delis)

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

2 plum tomatoes cut into chunks

2 handfuls rocket washed

4tbsp Greek yoghurt

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°c, gas mark 6.

In a bowl, mix the cumin, coriander, sesame seeds, paprika, allspice, sugar and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the mixture all over the flesh side of the salmon and drizzle over the olive oil.

Bring a medium-sized pan of salted water to the boil. Place in the asparagus and cook for two minutes. Drain then cool and set aside.

In a hot, non-stick frying pan seal the salmon skin side down first, then place in the oven for eight minutes.

While you are waiting for the salmon to cook, chop the lemon skin and place in a medium-sized bowl. Then add the asparagus, shallots, chilli, tomatoes, rocket and a splash of extra virgin olive oil, season and mix.

When the salmon is cooked, divide between four warm plates, top with the salad. Finish with a spoonful of yoghurt, cracked pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe courtesy of british-asparagus.co.uk