Salmon & Pesto-dressed Vegetables
Make Jamie Oliver's simple pan-fried salmon dish and serve with pesto dressed veggies for the perfect, tasty mid week meal. Plus make your own pesto with Jamie's easy recipe!
Introduction
Salmon is a great source of both omega 3, which helps to keep our hearts healthy, and vitamin D that helps to make our bones and teeth strong. Pan-frying salmon is an easy way to get more oily fish our diets – served with delicious, pesto-dressed potatoes and greens, it’s a great weeknight dinner.
Jamie's Top Tip: Pesto is fantastic – everyone likes it. As well as dressing vegetables, try it with pasta, roast meats on hot toasts, or drizzled over soups. Just give it a bash!
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution: Jamie is urging all of us to cook for our lives. This recipe is one of Jamie’s 10 Food Revolution recipes that together can teach us all the skills we need to feed ourselves and our families good, nutritious food for years to come. For all 10 recipes go to jamiesfoodrevolution.org and celebrate the power of fresh, healthy, real food.
Recipe © Jamie Oliver. Photo © James Lyndsay
Ingredients
| 600g | new potatoes |
| 200g | fine green beans |
| 200g | tenderstem broccoli |
| 4 x 120g | salmon fillets, scaled and pin-boned, from sustainable sources |
| olive oil | |
| 1 | lemon |
| For the pesto: | |
| 25g | pine nuts |
| 1/2 | a small clove of garlic |
| 50g | fresh basil |
| extra virgin olive oil | |
| 15g | Parmesan cheese |
| 1 | lemon |
| Equipment needed: | |
| Small non-stick frying pan | |
| Wooden spoon | |
| Small bowl | |
| Pestle and mortar | |
| Measuring spoons | |
| Fine grater | |
| Chopping board | |
| Knife | |
| Large saucepan with lid | |
| Large non-stick frying pan | |
| Fish slice | |
| Colander | |
| Large bowl | |
| Tongs |
Essential kit
You will need a pestle and mortar.
Method
To make the pesto:
1. Place a small frying pan over a medium heat, tip in the pine nuts and toast until very lightly golden – keep them moving so they don’t burn, then place in a small bowl and put to one side.
2. Peel the garlic, then place in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt.
3. Pick and tear in the basil leaves.
4. Bash the mixture to a paste, then add the pine nuts and pound again, leaving a little bit of texture. Scrape the mixture into the small bowl.
5. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil – you need just enough to bind the pesto and give it an oozy consistency – then finely grate and stir through the Parmesan.
6. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Have a taste and season with a pinch of black pepper and a squeeze more lemon juice, if you think it needs it.
To cook the vegetables:
7. Scrub the potatoes well, then trim the beans and broccoli.
8. Fill a large pan three quarters of the way up with boiling water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.
9. Once boiling, carefully add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, adding the beans and the broccoli for the nal 5 minutes. Meanwhile…
To cook the fish:
10. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat.
11. Rub the salmon fillets all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
12. Place in the hot pan, skin-side down, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 4 minutes, or until golden underneath.
13. Use a fish slice to turn them over, then cook the llets for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until just cooked through.
14. Remove the pan from the heat, rest for 30 seconds, then add a good squeeze of lemon juice and give the pan a good shake.
To assemble your meal:
15. Drain the vegetables well, then tip into to a large bowl. Add the pesto, then use tongs to coat everything nicely.
16. Divide the fish fillets and vegetables between your plates, drizzle over the juices from the pan, then serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
