Four favourite salmon recipes (2024)

Cured salmon with maple and pink pepper (pictured above)

Prep 5 min
Cure 24 hr
Serves 10-12

1 whole salmon, filleted, skinned and pinboned – see online version for pinboning instructions.

For the cure
25g star anise
25g fennel seeds
25g pink peppercorns
750g rock salt
500g caster sugar
750ml white wine
250g maple syrup

To serve
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ lemon
1 celery stick, finely diced
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
Flaky sea salt

Begin by making the cure: put all the ingredients except the wine and maple syrup in a food processor and blitz for 20 seconds, until everything is well mixed and some of the spices are cracked.

Spread half of this mixture into the base of a non-reactive container that will snugly hold all the fish fillets side by side in one layer. Put the salmon fillets on top of the cure in a single layer, then sprinkle over the remaining cure to completely cover the fish. Pour over the wine and maple syrup, then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 12 hours.

After 12 hours, turn the salmon and return to the fridge for a further 12 hours.

Remove the fish from the cure and gently wash under cold running water, then pat dry with kitchen paper and put in a clean container.

Slice the salmon thinly, drizzle with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, and finish with a sprinkling of celery, chives and a few flakes of salt.
From The Seahorse by Mitch Tonks (Absolute Press)

Charcoal salmon with roast garlic, lemon and parsley pearl barley

Prep 1 hr
Cook 45 min
Serves 4

100g salt
100g caster sugar
1 lemon, zest finely grated
4 salmon fillets – about 100g each
100g charcoal or regular cheese wafer biscuits
100g plain flour
1 egg, beaten
Oil for deep-frying

For the pearl barley
1 garlic bulb, plus 8 unpeeled cloves
Olive oil
50g unsalted butter
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
150g pearl barley
100ml dry white wine
500ml fish or vegetable stock
75g parmesan, grated
75g mascarpone
4 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon, segmented
Salt and black pepper
Mustard cress, to serve

Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas 6. Check the salmon for any pin bones and remove – see this article online for step-by-step instructions.

For the pearl barley, halve the garlic bulb horizontally and put on a piece of foil. Drizzle with salt and olive oil, seal the foil and put on a baking tray with the garlic cloves for the garnish, if using. Roast for 45 minutes (20 minutes for the individual cloves), then set aside.

Meanwhile, mix the salt, sugar and lemon zest together and sprinkle over the salmon. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the barley, heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter and a drizzle of olive oil. When bubbling, add the shallots and cook, without colouring, for one minute. Add the pearl barley to the pan and cook for one minute, stirring all the time. Next add the white wine and simmer until reduced right down, almost to nothing. Now add the stock and cook, until the barley is tender, but retains a slight bite. Set aside to cool.

Wash the cure off the salmon and cut into 1cm slices. Blitz the cheese wafers in a food processor, until finely ground. Put the flour, beaten egg and crumbs into three separate bowls. Dip the salmon into the flour and pat off the excess, then into the beaten egg and finally into the wafer crumbs to coat. Set aside on a plate.

When ready to serve, heat the oil in a deep-fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 180C/350F. Deep-fry the salmon in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, for two minutes, until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt and keep warm while you cook the rest.

Meanwhile, return the barley to a medium-low heat and warm through for one minute. Peel the roasted garlic bulb and stir through the barley with the parmesan, mascarpone and parsley and heat for a minute. Take off the heat, add the lemon segments and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the barley on to four warmed plates and top with the salmon. Finish with mustard cress, a drizzle of olive oil and the roasted garlic cloves, if using.
Adapted from Nathan Outlaw’s British Seafood by Nathan Outlaw (Quadrille)

Slow-roasted spiced salmon with herb salsa

Prep 10 min
Marinate 1-2 hr
Cook 55 min
Serves 6

2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
3 cloves
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp turmeric
1 generous pinch salt
2 tbsp melted ghee or oil
900g salmon fillet, skinned
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp olive oil

For the salsa
1 medium shallot, finely diced
3 tbsp lime juice
10g coriander leaves and tender stems, very finely chopped
1 tbsp jalapeño, minced
2 tbsp spring onions, very finely chopped (green and white parts)
55ml neutral oil
Salt

First make the salsa: In a small bowl, combine the shallot and lime juice and set aside for 15 minutes to macerate. In a separate small bowl, combine the coriander, jalapeño, spring onions, oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Add the shallot, stir then add lime juice and salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate.

Toast the seeds and cloves in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat and then grind finely with a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt to the spice mixture, then add the ghee or oil, mix and set aside.

Heat the oven to 110C/230F/gas very low. Each side of salmon has a line of thin pin bones that reaches about two-thirds of the way down the fillet. Using tweezers or needle-nosed pliers, lay the fillet skin-side down on a cutting board. Run your fingers lightly over the fish from head to tail to locate the bones, and coax their ends out of the flesh. Starting at the head end, pull out the bones one by one, tugging at them with your tweezers at the same angle at which they are lodged in the fish. Once you get the bone out, dip the tweezers in a glass of cold water to release the bone. When you’ve finished, run your fingers over the fish once more to make sure you’ve got all the bones. Season the fish with salt, then rub the spice paste on both sides of the fish, and refrigerate, covered, for one to two hours.

Bring the salmon to room temperature. Drizzle with the olive oil and rub it in evenly with your hands. Roast in a baking dish for 40 to 50 minutes, until it begins to flake in the thickest part of the fillet when you poke it with a knife or your finger. Because this method is so gentle on its proteins, the fish will appear translucent even when it’s cooked.

Once the salmon is cooked, break it into large, rustic pieces and spoon the herb salsa on top in generous amounts and serve.
From Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat (Canongate)

Pan-fried salmon with daikon and yuzu ponzu

Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 4

4 x 100–125g salmon fillets
Salt and pepper
100g cornstarch
2 tbsp olive oil

For the ponzu (makes 180ml)
90ml soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp yuzu juice (lemon and lime juices work, too)

To garnish
150g daikon (white radish), grated
1 tsp shichimi-togarashi (Japanese seven spice – available in some large supermarkets and online)

First make the ponzu: in a small bowl, combine the ingredients and mix well, then pour into a sterile, lidded container (any leftovers will keep in the fridge for a week).

Season the salmon, then sprinkle the cornflour on a plate and dip both sides of the fish in it to coat, shaking off any excess.

In a frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and pan-fry the salmon for three minutes, until both sides are browned and it is cooked through.

Plate the salmon and sprinkle some daikon on top. Dress with ponzu to taste, then sprinkle with the shichimi-togarashi.
From Cibi by Meg and Zenta Tanaka (Hardie Grant)

Sustainability varies by species and fishing method. Check the Marine Conservation Guide’s Good Fish Guide. More info about salmon ratings here.