Taken from her new solo publication, East by West, Jasmine Hemsley shares her recipe for a delicately spiced salmon dish perfect for feeding a crowd.
Melt-in-the-mouth chunks of delicately spiced salmon started off as an addition to any dish on the menu at my pop-up cafe. It was so popular that it soon made a weekly appearance. This recipe is a delicious way to show off the subtle flavours of turmeric without making a curry (or Golden Milk!). I always team black pepper and turmeric where I can, to improve the bioavailability of turmeric’s nutrients. Here, the sharp pungency of the pepper cuts through the rich fatty sweetness of the salmon. This dish is a great one for feeding a crowd — the salmon looks impressive, yet all you need to do is dust it with some spices, pop it in the oven and serve over some sautéed seasonal veg. Yum.
LEMON, TURMERIC AND BLACK-PEPPER SALMON WITH SPRING GREENS
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
850g side of salmon or 6 salmon fillets
zest of 3 lemons
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
FOR THE VEGETABLES
1 & 1/2 tbsp ghee
3 garlic cloves
chopped 200g (2 cups) spring greens
chopped 1/2 Savoy cabbage, finely sliced
3 bay leaves
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
250g asparagus
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD
1. The day before you wish to serve, line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Place the salmon on it, skin-side down. Mix together the lemon zest, black pepper and turmeric. Spread it all over the fish and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/gas mark 6). Season the marinated salmon with sea salt and then bake for 22 minutes. If you’re using fillets, reduce the cooking time slightly.
3. About 7 minutes before the end of the cooking time, melt the ghee in a medium saucepan and sauté the garlic for a few minutes. Add the spring greens, Savoy cabbage, bay leaves, vinegar and asparagus, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and steam for 4—5 minutes.
4. Remove the salmon from the oven, then flake or cut it into chunks. Divide the veggies between your plates and serve with the baked salmon arranged over the top.
TIP: You can easily adapt this dish for the different seasons. In winter, simply substitute the spring greens with 3 medium turnips, cut into cubes, and 500g (5 cups) kale leaves, chopped.
Recipe taken from East by West: Simple Recipes for Ultimate Mind-Body Balance by Jasmine Hemsley, out now, published by Bluebird (£25) Buy online here. Image credits: Nick Hopper