Slow-Roasted Salmon with Lemony Leeks and Asparagus
“A good recipe has not necessarily a short ingredient list, but an ingredient list that doesn't have any extra ingredients. It's pared down to the things that make the dish special and delicious, and has ingredients that are easy to find. — Lidey Heuck, author of the new cookbook, “Cooking in Real Life”
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 medium leeks, dark green leaves trimmed 1lemon, very thinly sliced 5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2-pound salmon fillet (see tip below), skin removed 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Fresh dill, for serving
Grated lemon zest, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Thinly slice the leek crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place the leeks in a large bowl of water, swish them around to loosen any grit, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain. Pat the leeks dry with a clean kitchen towel and spread them out on a sheet pan.
Add the lemon slices to the sheet pan. Drizzle the leeks and lemon with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
Transfer to the oven and roast until the leeks are tender and lightly caramelized, about 30 minutes, tossing twice throughout.
Meanwhile, pat the salmon dry and set aside at room temperature.
Add the asparagus to the sheet pan along with another 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss well, then push the vegetables to the edges of the pan to create space for the salmon. Place the salmon on the pan, rub all over with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Return to the oven and roast until the salmon registers 120to 125degrees on an instant-read thermometer and flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. (Because the salmon is cooked so gently in this method, it may still look slightly translucent on top — that's okay!)
Transfer the salmon and vegetables to a platter, arranging the vegetables around the fish. Sprinkle the salmon with flaky salt, dill and lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tip >> If you use a center-cut piece of salmon, it will be cooked evenly the whole way through. If you use a more tapered piece, the ends will be slightly more well done than the center. Both work great, but I often ask for a tapered piece if I know some people prefer their salmon on the well-done side.
— Excerpted from COOKING IN REAL LIFE: Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day. Copyright @ 2024by Lidey Heuck. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.