Salmon puttanesca

The bright red, puttanesca-style oil makes this a spectacular centrepiece, while the briny, lemony salsa is the ideal sidekick for all that richness; the short cooking time is an added bonus. Crusty bread or crisp roast potatoes make lovely accompaniments. If you want to get ahead, make the fragrant oil the day before.

Prep

20 min

Cook

30 min

Serving size

6-8

Ingredients

70ml olive oil
8 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
2½ tbsp tomato paste
1½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly bashed in a mortar
8 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 preserved lemons, flesh scooped out and discarded, rind finely chopped (60g net)
2 tsp maple syrup
1 large lemon, cut into 5mm-thin rounds (130g)
1 salmon fillet (about 1.2kg), pin-boned, skin left on
Salt and black pepper
200g datterini (or cherry) tomatoes, halved

For the salsa:
60g pitted kalamata olives
60g baby capers (or regular capers, roughly chopped)
1 preserved lemon, flesh scooped out and discarded, rind thinly sliced (30g)
20g basil leaves, roughly chopped
10g flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. First make the oil. Put the oil, anchovies and tomato paste in a small saute pan on a medium heat and cook, stirring, for five minutes. Add the chilli flakes and coriander seeds, cook for another minute, until fragrant, then take off the heat and add the garlic, preserved lemon and maple syrup. Stir to combine, then leave to cool for about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and line a 40cm x 30cm roasting tin with greaseproof paper. Arrange the sliced lemon all over the tray. Sprinkle the salmon with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper on each side, lay it skin side down on top of the lemon slices, then scatter the tomato halves all around the edges.

3. Pour the cooled oil and its solids over the salmon, and press the garlic slices flat against the fish’s flesh. Bake for 17 minutes (or up to 20, if you prefer it more cooked), then remove and leave to rest for five minutes.

4. While the salmon is baking, make the salsa. Mix the olives, capers, preserved lemon, basil and parsley leaves, olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl, then add an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and mix again. Scatter half the salsa over the salmon and serve the fish warm or at room temperature with the rest of the salsa in a bowl on the side.