Citrus-spiced salmon

 

 

 

 

 

 

See below for the recipe in German, siehe unten für das Rezept auf Deutsch

This is a fabulous oven-cooked salmon dish with a fragrant spice rub where the different citrus notes of orange, sumach & lime are enriched by woodsy cumin, warm cinnamon & scented pink rose petals. Minimum work for maximum flavour and the colours are equally beautiful. I bet you will fall in love with this Persiana recipe the moment you’ll grind the rose petals for the rub. I am no expert on Persian cuisine but Sabrina Ghayour’s book is one of my favourite books since I opened it and daydreamed of eating every single one of its enticing & mouth-watering pictures & recipes.

We have already had this three times and it could have been four times, if I had not foolishly decided to Nobu-Miso-Marinate the last salmon I have bought, that very pretty & expensive piece of wild, hand-caught, artisan, signature, super duper ‘loin’. You may want to skip the rant and rejoin at the beginning of the next paragraph… or: Let’s just say, I’ll reserve judgement until I try the original version with Black Cod but that was some wasted Mirin-candied salmon. To smoothly round off the whole saccharine fiasco (and adding even more sweetness), Ottolenghi let me down as well with a Japanese-ish vegetable side with a sweet sesame sauce (the name might have been a hint, more Mirin). Though, I am quite sure we’ll make up very soon. Rice was good.

Back to the good news…

…and our new go-to Persian salmon: I have dialed down the rose (to ½ the amount) in the spice rub because I am using it all on 4 instead of 6 filets or two larger salmon pieces to ensure it not drying out in the oven. Try it with a colourful Taboulé or a summery Fattoush salad. By the way, left-over cold salmon goes great on a salad with this fresh Mexican Green Goddess dressing for lunch.

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Adapted from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour with a lightly less rosy rub but more rub per fish. Make individual filets or two larger pieces

Serves 4

 

4 salmon filets, skinless, about 100g (3½ oz) each or 2 pieces of salmon (200g / 7oz)
2 tablespoons dried rose petals, finely ground (preferably a scented variety)
2 teaspoons sumac
1 teaspoon ground dried lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lime (make sure it is untreated, alternatively use lemon)
3-4 teaspoons olive oil
sea salt & black pepper
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F, fan oven: 180°C.

Grind the rose petals as well as an dried lime (smash prior with a heavy, blunt object otherwise the hard lime jumps like a pingpong-ball in the mill without a blemish) in a spice/coffee grinder or use a pestle and mortar.

Mix rose petals, sumac, dried lime powder, cumin, cinnamon, orange & lime zest with olive oil and cover all sides of the salmon fillets with this paste. Season each piece with salt & pepper.

Place in an ovenproof dish & bake for 10-12 minutes (depends on the thickness of your salmon pieces). Serve with lemon wedges & Fattoush or Taboulé/Tabouli.

 

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Persischer Zitrus-Lachs

Adaptiert von Sabrina Ghayours tollem Kochbuch Persiana, nur weniger rosig, dafür aber mehr Gewürz pro filet

Für 4 Personen

 

4 Lachsfilets ohne Haut (à 100g) oder 2 Stücke à 200g
2 EL getrocknete Rosenblätter, fein gemahlen (ideal ist eine duftende Sorte)
2 TL Sumach
1 TL gemahlene getrocknete Limette (ganz kaufen und in der Kaffeemühle mahlen)
1 TL gemahlener Kreuzkümmel
¼ TL Zimt
abgeriebene Schale einer Orange
abgeriebene Schale einer Limette (natürlich auch unbehandelt! alternativ: Zitrone)
3-4 TL Olivenöl
Meersalz & schwarzer Pfeffer

 

Backofen auf 200°C / 400° F, Umluft: 180°C vorheizen.

Die Rosenblätter wie auch die getrocknete Limette in einer Gewürz- oder Kaffeemühle mahlen (die Limetten vorher mit einem schweren Gegenstand in kleinere Stücke zerschlagen, sonst springt die harte Limette wie ein Pingpongball in der Mühle herum).

Gemahlene Rosenblätter, Sumach, gemahlene Limette, Kreuzkümmel, Zimt, Orangen- & Limettenschale mit Oliveöl zu einer Paste verrühren und alle Seiten der Lachsfilets damit einreiben, die Stücke anschließend mit Salz & Pfeffer würzen.

In einer ofenfesten Schale oder auf einem Backblech 10-12 Minuten (je nach Dicke der Lachsstücke) backen und mit Zitronenspalten servieren. Dazu: Fattoush oder Taboulé/Tabouleh.

Reste vom Lachs schmecken großartig zu einem Salat mit diesem frischen mexikanisch-inspirierten Green Goddess Dressing.