A healthy, low-maintenance meal that brings the flavor
Roasted salmon and parmesan broccolini with olive-mint relish
With weeknight cooking, sometimes we must compromise. But that doesn't necessarily mean we have to sacrifice. Instead, we must find a way to make a meal delicious in the least annoying way.
Let me explain.
You see, usually, I'd bake salmon slowly, at about 300°F in the oven, so the flesh is silky all the way through.
And then, I'd roast broccolini at about 425°F, so it becomes crispy but retains its juicy snap.
But I'm not cooking different ingredients at different temperatures on a weeknight, sorry. ;)
I will, however, use two different sheet pans, especially when I can line them with parchment paper or silicone liners for easy clean-up.
When cooking the salmon and broccolini, I thought I'd compromise by meeting toward the middle of the temperature range. So I cooked both at 375°F, and unfortunately, the broccoli seemed to dehydrate and lose its snap before becoming crispy.
Ultimately, the dish tasted best when the salmon joined the broccoli for a high-heat blast. Yes, the outside of the salmon cooks faster than it would at a lower temperature, but you can pull the fish out early enough so it still has a silky center.
I like Eric Ripert's tip to check when the fish is done: Insert a metal skewer (I use a metal butter knife) into the center of the flesh. You should feel slight resistance. Then put it against your hand. If it's warm, the fish is ready.
This cooking method involves a second compromise: It doesn't produce crispy, potato-chip-like skin. If crisp skin is your goal, you're better off cooking the salmon as individual 6-ounce fillets in a skillet, so I've offered that method as well.
To bring the salmon and broccolini together into a cohesive meal, I serve them with an "olive-mint" relish, which is just a fancy way of saying olives and mint chopped up together.
I spoon the relish over the fish, but some of it naturally falls off, so you get bites with the broccolini too. I also pump up the umami of the roasted broccolini with a parmesan dusting. The combination is utterly magical — you'd never believe there are only five ingredients in this dish.
Or, as my husband said:
"Wow, this tastes like something you'd eat along the Mediterranean, except with salmon," my husband said.
If that involves some compromises, I'll take it.
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