According to
some people, this is a very traditional
English recipe; but hand on heart - I did develop it myself as well, originally with
plaice fillets though and not salmon. There are three reasons why you absolutely must go and try it straight away:
- It tastes fantastic
- It looks fantastic
- It's so easy you could do it blindfolded and with one arm tied behind your back. Standing on your head, even.
So, as we're right at the beginning of salmon season and it's relatively cheap as well, if you're having a dinner party (and even if you're not!) there is just no excuse not to try this wonderful dish. You will need:
- 2 medium sized fillets of salmon per portion
- About 125ml (.25 of a pint) pourable single cream per portion
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg
It's perfectly allowable to vary the dish with other seasonings such as a tiny dash of white wine vinegar, a little parsely, a pinch of cayenne pepper; these will all cut through the rich creaminess of the final dish and make it lighter. Me, I like rich creaminess.
You can also (as indeed I had) try this with practically any other firm-fleshed fish. I did this with smoked haddock once, and oh, yum.
Right,
- Preheat the oven to 190C.
- Place the salmon steak or other fish fillets skin down in a roasting tin. You want one that is not too large for the amount of fish you're actually cooking, otherwise the cream will spread across the bottom and not cover the fish.
- Season the fish well and grate about a quarter of a nutmeg on it, then add the cream. It should almost but not quite cover the fish.
- Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes and no more (overcooked fish is yucky). Take out of the oven and baste a little with the sauce. Using a fish slice, transfer onto your serving dish. I recommend not adding the cooking juices on top, but your mileage may vary.
Tell me that doesn't sound easy. Now go and eat your Omega three!