Salmon baked on a bed of fennel, orange, and olives. Fennel microgreens on top add fresh, sweet anise that lifts the rich fish.
INGREDIENTS
- 300 g - fennel (1 large bulb)
- 2 tbsp - olive oil
- 1 - orange
- 40 g - pitted olives
- 2 - skin-on salmon fillets, 6 oz (180 g) each
- 1 tbsp - lemon juice
- salt, black pepper
- 15 g - fennel microgreens
STEPS
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the fennel 1/2 in (1 cm) thick, toss with half the oil, salt, and roast in a baking dish for 20 minutes.
- While the fennel roasts, slice half the orange into rounds and juice the other half.
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Take out the dish, add the orange rounds and olives, set the fish on top skin side down, and drizzle with the rest of the oil and the orange juice.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the thickest part starts to flake and an instant-read thermometer shows 145°F (63°C).
- Rest the fish for 3 minutes, sprinkle with lemon juice, and top with the fennel microgreens.
Fennel Microgreens with Roasted Salmon
Fennel and fish have long gone together in Mediterranean cooking. This recipe uses fennel twice: the bulb roasts under the salmon until soft and sweet, and fennel microgreens go on top raw. They look like dill but taste of clean, sweet anise with no bitterness. With the orange, they freshen up the rich fish.
Put the microgreens on the salmon after it comes out of the oven and has rested a bit.
About the Ingredients
Fennel microgreens: 15 g for two servings. Dill microgreens work as a swap, trading anise for dill.
Salmon: skin-on fillets, 1 in (2.5-3 cm) thick. Thin tail pieces dry out faster.
Fennel: a firm white bulb with no brown spots. The green fronds can go in the dish too.
Orange: slice half into rounds for under the fish and juice the other half.
Technique: Fennel First, Then Fish
Fennel needs 30-35 minutes to soften and brown; salmon needs 12-14. So roast the fennel on its own for 20 minutes first, then lay the fish on top. The salmon is done when the thickest part flakes when pressed with a fork and an instant-read thermometer shows 145°F (63°C).
Variations
- With potatoes: halved baby potatoes roasted along with the fennel.
- With cherry tomatoes: 150 g cherry tomatoes added with the fish.
- With white fish: cod or hake instead of salmon, 10-12 minutes.
- With capers: 1 tbsp capers instead of olives.
Serving and Storage
Serve straight from the baking dish and spoon the pan juices over the fish. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days, and cold salmon is great in a salad. How long a container of microgreens lasts is in our wiki: microgreen shelf life.
Salmon served raw with microgreens: salmon poke bowl with shiso microgreens.
CHEF'S TIPS
Fillets of different thickness cook at different speeds. For thinner fillets, under 3/4 in (2 cm), cut the time to 9-10 minutes.
If white beads of albumin appear on the surface, the salmon is starting to dry out: take it out.
