Baked salmon fillet with pickled cranberries, parsley & pistachios

Pickled cranberries are a great accompaniment, as they really balance out an oily fish like salmon and add a real Christmassy feel. Adding spices and pistachios to the breadcrumbs give the crust a punch of flavour that goes perfectly with the cranberries.

QServes 6-8

QPrep 15 mins plus at least 1 week pickling

FOR THE PICKLED CRANBERRIES 300ml cider vinegar

300g caster sugar

340g fresh cranberries

½ tsp whole cloves

½ tsp juniper berries

FOR THE SALMON

75g panko breadcrumbs

½ tbsp dried thyme

2 tbsp sumac

1 lemon, zested

5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1kg boneless salmon fillet

60g pistachios, crushed

½ small bunch of parsley, chopped,

to serve

1 To make the pickled cranberries, put the vinegar and sugar in a pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients and continue to boil for 4 mins. Pour the mixture into a 1-litre sterilised jar, or two smaller ones, and seal

QCook 35 mins

well, then leave to cool. Leave to pickle in the fridge for at least one week.

2 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry frying pan for 2-3 mins until golden, then tip onto a plate and leave to cool.

3 Mix the toasted breadcrumbs, thyme, sumac, lemon zest and some seasoning together in a bowl. Add the oil and mix well. 4 Lay a sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray large enough to fit the salmon fillet. Put the salmon, skin-side down, on top, and spread the crust mixture over. Drizzle with a little extra oil.

5 Bake for 20-25 mins, or until just cooked and the crust is golden. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the pistachios. Drain some of the pickled cranberries and scatter over the top along with the parsley. Serve with the cheesy sprout gratin (p41) and lemon, garlic & bay roast potatoes (p39).

PER SERVING 451 kcals, fat 26g, saturates 4g,

carbs 25g, sugars 18g, fibre 3g, protein 28g, salt 0.3g