Eye for a Recipe

I love Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks and his new one, Ottolenghi Comfort, is a great addition to the collection. The first recipe I tried was this delicious sheet-pan salmon, baked and topped with a puttanesca-style oil and salsa. Ottolenghi’s recipes are often labour-intensive and require many (and sometimes hard-to-find) ingredients, but the results are worth it. Most of the ingredients called for in this collection are easier to find than the ones in earlier books. Cook’s note: I used broccoli instead of green beans.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the dried spices don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. It is difficult to find preserved lemons without additives, so I make my own by rinsing three lemons, slicing them thinly crosswise and tossing them with 3 tbsp (45 ml) sugar, 3 tbsp (45 ml) table salt and ¾ cup (187 ml) olive oil. Place in bowl or jar, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to two weeks. I used pure maple syrup, Jesse Tree olives, Unico capers and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Ingredients:

Salmon and vegetables

7 oz (200 g) green beans

7 green onions

7 oz (200 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

6 salmon fillets, skin on (about 1 lb 9 oz/720 g)

Tomato anchovy oil

1/3 cup (70ml) olive oil

8 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped

2½ tbsp (37.5 ml) tomato paste

1½ tsp (7.5 ml) chilli flakes

2 tsp (10 ml) coriander seeds, lightly bashed in a mortar

8 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 preserved lemons, flesh scooped out and discarded, rind finely chopped (2 oz/60g net)

2 tsp (10 ml) maple syrup

For the salsa

½ cup (125 ml) pitted kalamata olives

½ cup (125 ml) baby capers (or regular capers, roughly chopped)

1 preserved lemon, flesh scooped out and discarded, rind thinly sliced (1 oz/30g)

½ cup (125 ml) basil leaves, roughly chopped

½ (125 ml) cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice

Preparation:

First make the oil. Put the oil, anchovies and tomato paste in a small sauté pan on a medium heat and cook, stirring, for five minutes. Add the chilli flakes and coriander seeds, cook for another minute, until fragrant, then take off the heat and add the garlic, preserved lemon and maple syrup. Stir to combine, then leave to cool for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450 F (232 C) and place the beans, green onion and tomatoes on large lined baking sheet. Drizzle 3 tbsp (45 ml) of the tomato anchovy oil, along with ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) salt and a good grind of pepper. Toss to combine and place in the oven for 12-13 minutes, until the beans and tomatoes are starting to soften and taking on little colour.

Meanwhile, arrange the salmon fillets on a plate and, using a spoon, drizzle the remaining tomato anchovy oil as well as all the solids evenly over the fillets. Once the beans and tomatoes have done their time in the oven, nestle the salmon fillets among them and bake for 12 minutes Set aside for 5 minutes out of the oven to rest.

While the salmon is baking, make the salsa. Mix the olives, capers, preserved lemon, basil and parsley leaves, olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl, then 1/8 teaspoon (0.6 ml) of salt  and mix again. Scatter half the salsa over the salmon and serve the fish warm or at room temperature with the rest of the salsa in a bowl on the side. Serves 4.

From Ottolenghi Comfort