Are you cooking the typical turkey dinner this Christmas? Most people do. But for those of us who eat fish, I would like to share a simple recipe I came across years ago. It’s so quick and easy to make and … it never fails! It certainly is a crowd pleaser!
Holiday Side of Salmon
This recipe is taken from a Christmas cookbook supplement which came as a freebie with Essentials magazine many moons ago. I remember picking up this magazine from the newsagent’s at Heathrow airport thinking it would make a good read.
Doesn’t it look spectacular? But it really couldn’t be simpler to cook.
Ingredients
* one whole side of salmon (approx. 1.6kg – 2kg)
* juice and zest of 2 limes, plus extra to serve
* 100ml dark rum
* 50g dark brown sugar
* 2tbsp honey
* 2tbsp soy sauce
* 1tsp ginger, peeled and grated
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1tsp allspice
Serves 8-10
How to prepare your salmon
- Put all the ingredients (except salmon) in food container large enough to take your fish. Mix well. Put in the salmon and coat all over. Close the container and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Heat oven to gas mark 7 / 220 degrees Celsius. Remove the salmon from the marinade and put in a lined roasting dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Boil the marinade in a pan for 5 minutes until thickened. Drizzle over the salmon and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Rest the fish in a warm place for a couple of minutes before serving.
Ideas for sides
My favourite side dishes to go with salmon are spinach and lentils. I think they go so well together.
This is my latest warm spinach salad
* rinse spinach leaves and put in pot with a tight fitting lid
* steam gently for a few minutes until the leaves are just beginning to wilt – drain any excess water
* warm one tablespoon of olive oil and saute two cloves of crushed garlic and two spring onions, finely chopped
* remove from the heat and pour over spinach – top with toasted flaked almonds.
My puy lentil salad is just as quick and easy to make. Rinse the lentils and boil in vegetable stock for 15-20 minutes (do not overcook) – drain. In the meantime finely chop an onion, courgette, two celery sticks and one large carrot. Saute in a tablespoon of olive oil for ten minutes. Remove from the heat – add boiled lentils, chopped parsley and 75g of dried cranberries.
Make dressing by putting two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, one tablespoon balsamic vinegar, one crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper in a screw top jar, mix well and drizzle over lentils.
And for the final touch, you can add some potato wedges.
Try it … I guarantee your guests will be impressed.
My thanks go to Essential Magazine https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=essentialsmagazine for this lovely salmon recipe.
Colette's Food Blog 
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