Salmon fillets

Make the most of this popular fish with simple ideas on how to serve it

WHY CHOOSE SALMON?

Apart from being lavourful and rich in omega-3, it’s also very easy to cook. Fillets tend to be relatively thick, making them robust enough to move around and turn over when cooking. While delicious eaten as illets, these can also be cut into chunks and cooked in curries or sauces.

HOW TO COOK SALMON

Salmon can be baked, pan-fried, grilled, cooked ‘en papillote’ (baked in foil or paper) or steamed – just avoid deep-frying.

Baked or roasted is the easiest method and has the advantage of not illing your house with ishy cooking odours. Generally, illets take 10 15 mins in an oven at 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roast with other ingredients in the tray, or add seasonings, sauces or marinades. Pan-fried is a quicker option and a good one for anyone who likes crispy salmon skin. Heat a drizzle of oil in a non-stick pan and fry the illets skin-side down on a medium heat for

5 mins until the salmon is nearly cooked, then lip it over for 1 min to inish it o .

Grilled is a simple and speedy method, which is also ideal for when you want to coat the ish in a sticky glaze like teriyaki. Set a grill to medium and lay the illets, skin-side down, on a lightly oiled tray. Grill about 10cm away from the heat for 8 10 mins.

En papillote means parcelling up illets with other ingredients, like vegetables, tomatoes or herbs, for a meal in one. Wrap the salmon in loose foil or baking parchment and cook on a tray in an oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 20 mins. Open the parcels at the table. Steamed is a healthy, quick, low-fat option. Put the illets on a small plate and sit in a steamer for 5 8 mins.

WHEN IS IT COOKED?

When the salmon is cooked it will look opaque and the lesh will lake if you poke it with a fork. Try not to overcook it – it can dry out easily and should only be just

cooked in the centre.

EASY IDEAS

Salmon goes with a great variety of ingredients and lavours, from traditional pairings like white wine and butter, to soy and ginger. Here are some super-easy ways to jazz up your salmon illets.

• Perfect pesto Simply spoon some shop-bought or homemade pesto over the illets before baking.

• Spiced crust Rub the illets with a bit of oil, then coat in mild curry powder before baking or grilling.

• Soy glaze Mix some soy, honey and grated ginger together and brush over the salmon before baking or grilling.