A delicately spiced dish with the sweet crust of walnut. You can place the salmon in the oven instead of pan frying it, but I prefer the taste pan frying gives to the fish. You can leave the salmon to marinate with the topping for a couple of hours. Perfect with cauliflower rice, or served in lettuce wraps.
Serves: 4
Preparation: fish: 10 minutes; cauliflower rice: 10 minutes
Cooking: fish: 14 minutes; cauliflower rice: 14 minutes
Ingredients
● 4 salmon fillets, with skin
● 80g walnuts, roughly chopped
● 3 tbsp maple syrup
● 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
● 1 tsp Dijon mustard
● 1 tbsp coconut oil, odourless or sunflower oil
● 1-2 tsp paprika
● Sea salt and black pepper
● ¼-½ tsp chili flakes, optional
For the harissa rice
● 1 cauliflower
● 1 tbsp olive oil
● Harissa or paprika
● Sea salt and black pepper
Method
● For the cauliflower rice: cut around the core of the cauliflower, breaking off the florets and cut away and discard the stalks. You can use them in soups.
● Chop the florets so that you have a chunky rice texture.
● Put the chopped cauliflower in a bowl and add a tablespoon of olive oil, sea salt, harissa or paprika and black pepper and mix.
● Put the cauliflower into a non-stick frying pan over a medium/high heat for 20 minutes, keep turning over the cauliflower rice (every 3-5 minutes) to prevent burning.
● Once browned all over with a slight crunch, take off the heat and serve on a platter.
l For the fish: pre-heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-assisted).
● Wash and pat dry the salmon fillets and set aside.
● Mix the maple syrup, mustard and apple cider vinegar then stir in the walnuts.
● Heat a non-stick frying pan with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and when hot add the salmon fillets to the pan skin side up.
● Keep moving the salmon so it doesn't stick to the pan and then turn over the salmon after 1 minute and cook skin side down for another minute.
● Transfer the salmon fillets to a tray lined with baking parchment or silicone baking mat and season with sea salt, paprika and black pepper. Add some chili flakes if you like heat. Rub the seasoning in with the back of a spoon. Spoon the walnut and maple syrup mixture on top of the salmon, extra walnuts can be placed around the salmon and used for garnish.
● Bake for 12 minutes. Once cooked, serve immediately.
