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Recipe Detail Page
Sumac-Lime Salmon with a Pea Shoot Salad
Holiday 2023
A large fillet of salmon is seasoned with a fragrant crust of sumac, fennel seed and dried lime zest. It’s baked to perfection and topped with a robust salad of pea shoots, cucumber and mint, which acts more like a salsa than a side. It’s the perfect main for a Hanukkah party. The seasoning mixture is adapted from Moorish by Greg and Lucy Malouf (Hardie Grant, 2016).
Serves 8
SALMON
4 limes
2 tsp (10 mL) fennel seeds
4 tsp (20 mL) sumac
3 lb (1.36 kg) piece salmon fillet (see TIP)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
SALAD
1/2 tsp (2 mL) honey
2 tsp (10 mL) fresh lime juice
3 tbsp (45 mL) thinly sliced red onion
2 tsp (10 mL) extra virgin olive oil
3 cups (750 mL) lightly packed pea shoots
1 mini cucumber, halved, thinly sliced on bias
1/2 cup (125 mL) lightly packed mint leaves
1 fresh red chili pepper, thinly sliced
Lime wedges for serving
1. For the salmon, finely grate zest from limes using a rasp onto a baking sheet. Spread out any clumps with a spoon. Let stand until completely dry, about 2 hours. Transfer to a small bowl. Massage with fingertips to break down zest evenly. Set aside.
2. Place fennel seeds in small frying pan over medium heat. Toast, shaking pan occasionally, until slightly darker and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. When cool, finely grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Place in bowl with lime and add sumac. Mix until evenly combined.
3. Place salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
5. Sprinkle salmon generously with sumac mixture. Bake on middle rack until slightly underdone—depending on the thickness, anywhere from 14 to 17 minutes. (To check for doneness, insert tip of a paring knife into thickest part and hold for 3 seconds. If it’s warm when you pull it out, it’s ready. If it’s still cool or barely warm, return to oven.)
6. While salmon is baking, make salad by whisking honey and lime juice until honey is dissolved. Stir in onion and let stand 15 minutes. Stir in olive oil.
7. When salmon is done, remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a serving platter. (If you’re worried about transferring it, serve it right on the sheet pan.) Place pea shoots, cucumber, mint and chili in bowl with dressing. Toss to coat and pile over salmon. Serve with lime wedges.
Serves 8
TIP A 3-lb (1.36-kg) whole fillet of salmon should just fit on a large baking tray. If it doesn’t, trim off a piece of the tail and bake it on a separate pan.
