Good Friday fish feast - oven roasted salmon
It's traditional on Good Friday NOT to eat meat and fish has become very popular. James Tanner grew up with his mum's fish pie as a precursor to Easter, but he's gone for a simple yet sophisticated salmon dish which is perfect whether you're entertaining or just having an easy day with the family.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Oil for cooking600g Jersey Royal potatoes150g pancetta lardons250g asparagus spears1kg skinned boned salmon filletZest and juice of 1 lemon4 cloves sliced garlic1 red onion slicedSplash of sherry vinegar or white wine vinegarHandful fresh mint leaves to serveShop bought mayonnaiseHandful of mixed herbs
Method:
Pre heat oven to 200C/400F/gas 6
Add a splash of oil to a large roasting tray, coat the potatoes with the oil, season and cook in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until starting to colour
Add the pancetta and cook for a further 5 minutes. Prepare the asparagus, snap off the woody ends and peel off any woody lower pieces from the sides of the spears.
Brush salmon with oil, season and grate over the lemon zest. Remove the tray from the oven and stir the garlic and onion into the potatoes. Push the mixed ingredients to the edges of the tray to create space to lay in the salmon fillet.
Lay the asparagus spears in the space to create a trivet to sit the salmon on. Lay the salmon with the skinned side down on the asparagus. Drizzle over a splash of vinegar and cook in the hot oven for 15 minutes until the salmon is just cooked. To test pierce the fish with a cocktail stick, if it just goes into the fish and the flesh is firm it is ready.
Remove from oven and plate up or place on a large serving flat with the salmon in the middle and vegetables around. Squeeze over lemon juice, sprinkle with mint and serve with spruced up mayo.