I’m very excited to share this refreshing, summery recipe. It’s as tasty as it’s visually pleasing! Featuring a smoky, slightly spicy salmon with a cool, chive and yoghurt sauce, this recipe is perfect for summer evenings when you can’t face a hot meal. And the best part? It comes together in 20 minutes tops!
As you might have noticed, I love pastel colours, especially pink. The obsession started when I bought a pair of baby pink tailored trousers and since then pink has been creeping into all aspects of my life, including food. This recipe combines some of my favourite pink and red foods – coral salmon, fiery chilli flakes, ruby red paprika, burgundy sumac and rosey pink peppercorns. Serve with a crisp glass of rosé and you’ve got the perfect dinner date meal!
On Wednesdays we eat pink...
Pink peppercorns might sound gimmicky and in a way they are. It’s not related to black or white peppercorns, but rather it’s a dried berry with a fruity, slightly sweet peppery flavour. It pairs well with fish dishes, but also can be used in desserts and as a pretty garnish for gin. In this recipe, I add crushed pink peppercorns to the yoghurt sauce to add bursts of sweet pepperiness.
What's sumac and where can I get it?
Sumac is a spice made from dried, ground sumac berries, used heavily in Middle-Eastern cooking. It’s instantly recognisable from it’s gorgeous deep red hue. In recent years, it’s become widely available in most major supermarkets; I got mine from Sainsbury’s. It has a tangy lemony flavour without being too tart and is one component of the spice mixture za’atar. It works wonderfully in dry rubs and marinades for meat or fish, but also can be sprinkled over chips and hummus, for example. If you’re worried about buying a jar and never using it up, have a look for recipes by Ottolenghi; he uses sumac in wonderful, creative ways.
Side Dishes
This salmon is delicious with salad or steamed vegetables on the side. Roasted sweet potato wedges or roast potato coins will also be perfect. Keeping with the pink theme, serve with a glass of cold dry rosé – so refreshing on a hot, summer evening.
Sumac Salmon With Pink Peppercorn Yoghurt Sauce
Ingredients
For sauce:
- 3 tbsp yoghurt
- ½ lemon , juice and zest
- 1 clove garlic , grated
- handful of fresh chives , finely chopped
- 1 tsp pink peppercorn , crushed
- salt to taste
For salmon:
- 2 fillets salmon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- ½ tsp sumac
- salt to taste
For the garnish(optional):
- large pinch chopped chives
- large pinch crushed pink peppercorns
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4
- In a bowl, combine the olive oil, sumac, paprika, chilli flakes and salt.
- Coat the salmon in the seasoning and place skin-side up on an oven tray lined with grease-proof paper/foil. Spoon over any excess seasoned oil over the salmon fillets. Bake the salmon for 15 minutes in the oven.
- Whilst the salmon is in the oven, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the yoghurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated garlic, chopped chives and pink peppercorns.
- Use the remaining time to prepare any side salad or veg.
- Once salmon is done, transfer to plates with the skin facing up. Spoon the seasoned orange oil from the oven tray over the salmon fillet. Spoon the yoghurt sauce over, sprinkle the extra chives and pink peppercorns on top, and enjoy!
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