Salmon is our normal stand-by for New Year’s Eve. This year, we had family and friends visiting, so this this festive side of salmon became the centrepiece for the feast. There was even enough left-over for some dishes on New Year’s Day. Not only do the pickled cranberries look wonderful, they also help balance out the oiliness of the fish. I’ve written the recipe for an oven, but we actually cooked the fish on a braai (a kettle barbecue), adding some rosemary sprigs to give a herby smokiness that worked really well. Remember that you need to prepare the pickled cranberries at least a week in advance.
Prep time 15 mins/Cook time 30 minutes/Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
For the pickled cranberries:
300ml (1 ¼ cups) cider vinegar
300g (1 ½ cups) caster sugar
340g (7/10 lb) fresh cranberries
½ tsp whole cloves
½ tsp juniper berries
For the salmon:
75g (1/2 cup) panko breadcrumbs
½ tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp sumac
Finely-grated zest of 1 lemon
5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1kg (2 ¼ lbs) salmon fillet, pin-boned (you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you)
60g (1/2 cup) pistachios, crushed
½ small bunch of parsley, chopped, to serve
Method:
Prepare the pickled cranberries at least a week (preferably two) ahead. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients and continue to boil for 4 mins. Pour the mixture into a 1-litre sterilised jar, or two smaller ones, and seal well, then leave to cool. Once cold, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least a week.
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6). Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry frying pan for 2-3 mins until golden and toasted, then tip onto a plate and set aside to cool.
Combine the breadcrumbs, thyme, sumac, lemon zest and some seasoning in a mixing bowl. Drizzle over the 5 tbsp olive oil and mix in thoroughly.
Lay a piece of baking parchment on a baking tray that’s large enough to hold the salmon fillet. Put the salmon fillet skin-side down on top, and carefully spread the crust mixture over the top of the salmon. Don’t press the mixture down too much. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
Transfer the salmon to your pre-heated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, ideally until the fish is just cooked and the crust has turned a golden colour. Once cooked, transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the pistachios, some drained pickled cranberries and the parsley.
Ideally, serve accompanied with buttered greens and roast new potatoes.
