Mmm… doesn’t it make you hungry just looking at it? Yes my lovelies, I Made This! is back for a second scrumptious round. This one has been a long time coming, as it is a recipe I have grown incredibly fond of over a rather short period. This is because it is easy, quick and delicious. Every time!
I must give kudos to my lovely mother for introducing me to the wonders of salmon combined with dukkah. For those of you who have not encountered dukkah before, it is a Middle Eastern spice, made up from a mixture of nuts, spices and herbs. You can get a number of different types of dukkah; for this recipe, I used pistachio dukkah (at first because it was the only one available in my local supermarket, and subsequently because I fell in love with it).
This recipe really is simple, but it delivers in spades. Preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly add a few drops of extra virgin olive oil to cooking tray to prevent sticking. Prepare four salmon fillets – defrost if frozen, although fresh is always best (but not always practical). Simply pour the dukkah onto a plate and roll the salmon fillets in the spice until they are completely covered. I used to lightly coat the salmon fillets with oil but found that because they are naturally oily, this was unnecessary. However, depending on the freshness of your salmon, you may wish to do this to add a little moisture.
After this, simply bake for approx. 20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked but still tender and juicy. I love how fish does not take long to be completely cooked, and I always err on the side of caution as I hate overcooked, dry fish. The great thing about salmon is that you can’t really go wrong with it. I used to dislike it as a teenager, as we weren’t very creative with our salmon recipes back then. By itself, I’m not as keen. But if you pair salmon with the right partners, it really sings. I adore this recipe, and strongly suggest you try it. So simple, so delicious.
My mum came up with this recipe using her own imagination, but I have since seen it used in a few restaurants (particularly Fabulous Fine Foods, previously reviewed on this blog). It really shows how much fusion and global influence we see in our food these days, and I am so thankful for it. Now every time we buy salmon, I get so excited at all of the possibilities for dinner and can’t wait to create something new.
And that is definitely how life should be!