Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
So this recipe doesn't look like much but it's actually one of my favourite weeknight meals.
It's a simple salmon recipe with sauteed vegetables and roasted smashed potatoes.
I almost always have frozen salmon in the freezer which is why this recipe is a go-to on weeknights. The salmon is fresh salmon which I buy and then freeze to defrost and cook as needed. Sometimes I put it into a curry or bake it to serve with lemon dill sauce or grill it before topping it with a lime coriander butter. Those ways are delicious and you should definitely try them all but today, we are going to go down the quick route and simply pan-fry our salmon fillets until crispy.
I serve the crispy salmon on a bed of garlicky balsamic vegetables. You can use any vegetables you like but I love the combination of spinach, tomato and mushroom. Because they're all wet vegetables, they become like a sauce for our recipe. I start them off with fresh garlic gently browned in olive oil and finish them with a splash of balsamic vinegar to brighten everything up.
On the side, roasted smashed potatoes. I've shared a fresh rosemary version of these here before but today, I'm making them with baby potatoes and lots of onion salt and peri peri salt. They are one of my favourite side dishes. Simply boil the potatoes until just tender, drain well and dry, smash gently on a baking tray before roasting in a hot oven with olive oil and the seasonings of your choice.
And here we have it, dinner is served! So easy and you can swap things in and out as you like. Have a great Wednesday!
Salmon, previously: salmon curry // baked salmon with lemon dill sauce // grilled salmon with lime coriander butter // spicy salmon and potato fishcakes
A Simple List of Ingredients:
1. Salmon Fillets
2. Mushrooms
3. Baby Spinach
4. Tomato
5. Baby Potatoes
6. Garlic
7. Olive Oil
8. Balsamic Vinegar
9. Seasonings of Your Choice - I used peri peri salt and onion salt
Bismillah, let's begin!
The smashed potatoes will take the longest to cook so let's start with them first. I used 1kg Baby Potatoes.
Boil them in salted water until they're just tender. You don't want them too soft otherwise they'll just fall apart when we smash them. I let my potatoes come to a boil then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and set a timer for 10 minutes. Poke the potatoes with a knife and see if they're soft.
Once they're soft, drain them well and leave them to dry for a few minutes. This will help the oil stick to them better resulting in a crispier potato.
Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200C. Put the potatoes onto a foil lined baking tray.
Gently smash each potato with a potato masher resulting in smashed potatoes!
I've made a fresh rosemary version of these smashed potatoes before and you can see that recipe here!
Brush the potatoes with Olive Oil. The picture shows me pouring the oil over the potatoes but I later found that brushing the potatoes was easier.
You can season these potatoes any way you like. I'm trying to use up different seasoning blends in my drawer and so went with Onion Salt and Peri Peri Salt. They both turned out to be great flavours with the potatoes.
Sprinkle over as much Onion Salt and Peri Peri Salt as you'd like over the potatoes. Bake them for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
While the potatoes roast, let's make the garlicky balsamic vegetables. Into a large frying pan, place 2 tablespoons Olive Oil and 4 peeled and thinly sliced Garlic Cloves.
Put the pan over a medium heat and stir-fry until the garlic is fragrant and sizzling.
Add 200g sliced Mushrooms plus a little Salt and Black Pepper.
Stir fry for 5 minutes until the mushrooms have started to soften.
Add 1 Tomato, diced.
Stir-fry for a further 3 minutes.
Then, take 200g Baby Spinach which you've roughly chopped.
Add the spinach to the pan and cook for a few minutes until it has wilted down. I added a bit more seasoning at this point too.
Finish the vegetables by stirring in 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar.
Turn the heat off and the garlicky balsamic vegetables are done!
Finally, let's pan-fry the salmon. Heat 3 tablespoons Olive Oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, carefully place in 2 Salmon Fillets skin-side down. Sprinkle over Salt and Pepper, to taste.
You should hear the skin sizzle as soon as it hits the pan. That's a good sign. Let the salmon fry for 3 minutes.
Carefully turn the fish over and fry for a further 2 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. Done!
By this time, the smashed potatoes should be crispy and golden. Let's eat!
Doesn't look like much but this type of meal is my go-to on a busy weeknight. Tasty and packed with all the flavours!
Pan-Fried Salmon with Garlicky Balsamic Vegetables.
And smashed potatoes because we love them!
Prep Time: About 15 minutes.
Cook Time: About 25 minutes.
Serves: About 2 people.
Ingredients
For the Smashed Potatoes
1kg Baby Potatoes
Onion Salt, to taste
Peri Peri Salt, to taste
Olive Oil, as needed
For the Garlicky Balsamic Vegetables
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
200g Mushrooms, sliced
1 Tomato, diced
200g Baby Spinach, roughly chopped
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
For the Pan-Fried Salmon
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Salmon Fillets, with skin if you prefer
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Cook the smashed potatoes:
- Boil the baby potatoes in salted water until they're just cooked. Drain well and leave to dry for a few minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200C. Line a baking tray with foil and put the potatoes onto it. Gently smash the potatoes with a potato masher. Brush the potatoes with olive oil before sprinkling over the onion salt and peri peri salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Put the olive oil and sliced garlic into a large frying pan. Let the two heat up over a medium heat until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir-fry for 5 minutes.
- Add the diced tomato and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the spinach along with a bit more seasoning and stir until it has wilted. Finish by stirring in the balsamic vinegar.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
- When the oil is hot, add in the salmon fillets skin-side down. They should sizzle immediately. Fry for 3 minutes then turn. Fry for another 2 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking.
- Serve the salmon immediately with the garlicky balsamic vegetables and smashed potatoes.
Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your pan-fried salmon!
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!
