Baked Salmon with Feta-Almond Crust, over Briam
Feta, almonds, basil, ginger, garlic and red peppercorns top this easy baked salmon dish. Serve it with a late-summer briam (roasted vegetables). For a lovingly curated array of Greek ingredients to pair with this recipe, check out my online store here.
RATING
SERVES
4
PREP TIME
20 min
COOK TIME
1 h 30 min
Ingredients
For the Briam
- 3 medium zucchini sliced into 1/4-inch / 1 cm rounds
- 3 small to medium size eggplants sliced into 1/4-inch / 1-cm rounds
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste1/2 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
- 1 large red onion halved and sliced thin
- 2 green bell peppers seeded and cut into thin rings
- 1 1/2 cups canned plum tomatoes with juices
For the Salmon
- 1 1/2 pounds / 750 g salmon fillet with skin
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Greek pine or thyme honey
- Juice of half an orange
- 1 1- inch / 2.5 cm piece of ginger peeled and minced
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds
- 2/3 cup Greek feta
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the briam
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Preheat the oven to 350F/160C. Lightly oil a medium-size casserole dish, about 9 inches / 22-cm square X 2 inches / 5 cm deep.
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Toss the eggplant and zucchini slices with half the olive oil, garlic and oregano. Place in alternating pieces in neat rows in the baking dish. Slip the pepper and onion slices in between. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the tomatoes and remaining olive oil over the top. Cover and bake for about an hour, or until the vegetables are soft. Remove cover and bake for abother 10 - 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are lightly charred.
For the Salmon
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Place skin-side down in an oiled oven-proof glass or ceramic baking dish.
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Whisk together the mustard, honey, and orange juice. Season the salmon lightly with salt and pepper. Brush with the mustard-honey mixture.
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Puree the garlic, ginger and almonds together in a food processor. Add the basil, feta and peppercorns. Puree until the mixture is a paste. Press this into the surface of the salmon.
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Cover with parchment paper and then with aluminum foil, tucking in the sides to seal well. Bake at 350F / 160C for about 15 - 18 minutes, or until the salmon is fork tender. Remove the parchment and aluminum foil, turn on the broiler, and let the salmon bake under it for a few minutes, until the feta is lightly browned. Serve over the briam.
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You can prepare the salmon after the briam is done. The briam may be served at room temperature.
