Salmon dishes are a great mid-week meal option as they’re packed with protein and high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids have lots of benefits including improved brain function and decreased cardiovascular problems.
Salmon fillets taste fantastic served with salad, new potatoes and roasted vegetables.
Alternatively, if you’re not a confident cook, you could have smoked salmon with cream cheese on toast.
If you’re after a mid-week meal that’s quick and simple, Delia Smith’s salmon fillets with pesto and pecorino cheese recipe could be a great option.
Delia said of the recipe: “This recipe, invented by my good friend Lin Cooper, started life under the grill, but now, in my attempt to more or less eliminate the grill, I’m happy to say that it cooks very happily and easily in a high oven.
“One word of warning, though: it works much better with fresh pesto sauce from supermarkets than it does with the bottled kind.”
How to make Delia Smith’s roasted salmon fillets with a crusted pecorino and pesto topping:
Ingredients:
- 2 x 5-6 oz (150-175 g) salmon fillets, about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick, skinned
- 1 rounded tablespoon finely grated Pecorino cheese
- 2 level tablespoons fresh pesto sauce
- juice ½ lemon
- 2 level tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
Method:
1. Firstly, preheat the oven to gas mark 8, 450°F (230°C) and trim your salmon fillets, if they need it. Check for any stray bones too.
2. Put the fish in the centre of a prepared baking tray and squeeze a lemon over the top of them. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir the pesto and measure two tablespoons into a small bowl. Mix one-third of the breadcrumbs into the pesto until a paste forms. Spread this over the salmon fillets.
4. Mix half of the cheese with the remaining breadcrumbs and scatter it over the pesto-coated salmon fillets. Finish off with the rest of the cheese.
5. Put the baking tray in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crisp. The salmon should be moist and just cooked. Serve with salad or new potatoes.
