Must-have in the kitchen: a cast-iron pan
Today’s recipe was cooked in a cast-iron pan — all three parts — the potatoes, asparagus and salmon.
The cast-iron pan is a musthave in any kitchen. It’s versatile and when it gets hot, it stays hot. It’s excellent for searing and cooking steak.
For this dish, I cooked salmon in it and it’s quick because it doesn’t take very long to cook the fish.
The cast-iron pan is great for roasting potatoes and other veggies because they get a crispy, crunchy crust. Without fail, my mother always used the cast-iron pan to fry fish.
The potatoes will take the longest, while the fish about 15 minutes and the asparagus about 10. The aioli, with its garlic and lemon juice, adds freshness to the warm fish.
Roasted Salmon with Lemon-Garlic Aioli
3 salmon filets Chipotle sea salt, pepper to taste 30 mL (2 tablespoons) maple syrup 10 fingerling potatoes, cut in half 45 mL (3 tablespoons) olive oil 10 sprigs thyme, remove leaves from stems 2 mL (half a teaspoon) garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste Asparagus, ends removed 30 mL (2 tablespoons) olive oil, second amount Salt and pepper to taste 15 mL (1 tablespoon) Parmesan cheese, grated Lemon-Garlic Aioli Zest of half a lemon Juice of half a lemon 2 mL (half a teaspoon) garlic, minced 30 mL (2 tablespoons) chives, diced 5 mL (1 teaspoon) fresh thyme leaves 125 mL (half a cup) mayonnaise 15 mL (1 tablespoon) sour cream In a bowl, place the fingerling potatoes. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes. Add the thyme, garlic and salt and pepper. Mix. Place the potatoes in a cast-iron pan and put in the oven at 375 F. In the same bowl, place the asparagus tips and add the olive oil and salt and pepper. Once the potatoes have been in the oven for 20 minutes, take out the pan and add the asparagus and bake for about 10 minutes. On a plate, place the salmon filets and sprinkle the chipotle sea salt, pepper and maple syrup over the fish. Place the filets in a cast-iron pan and bake for about 15 minutes. For the lemon-garlic aioli: In a bowl add the zest of a lemon, juice of a lemon, minced garlic, chopped chives, thyme leaves, mayonnaise and sour cream. When you remove the food from the oven, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the asparagus and drizzle some of the sauce over the fish.