While many families feast on the traditional turkey on Christmas Day, there are some who for whatever reason, dare to be a little different. For anyone looking for a similar showstopper alternative to the big bird of a centrepiece for the Boxing Day buffet, Jamie Oliver has a brilliant stuffed salmon with lemon potatoes and tasty greens recipe.
Jamie showcased the recipe on This Morning earlier this month.
Speaking about his salmon dish, he said: “I’ve got some flavour combinations here which will just make it fantastic.
“Rosemary; people used to train you and say ‘never put woody herbs with fish, it’s wrong’. It works beautifully.
“Chilli – just a little bit, olives, capers, you could put sun-dried tomatoes, different herbs, but what I do, I dress it up and you can either throw that over a whole fillet [of salmon] if you want to get it on there and in there oven.
“But I say, if you want to make it special, just take the time to make little cuts in the salmons that will allow flavours to penetrate in.
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“Some people say ‘that’s a faff’ well throw it over. If you want to put a little care in – and also when you do something yourself, it’s the though that counts [and it is Christmas] so dress it up,” he added.
“We get those foods into the little cuts and we don’t overcook it, that’s the key.
“We kiss the salmon with a little seasoning – by the way, you can do this the day before. So when you need to cook this, you can cook it hot or warm and you’ve taken something everyday and you’ve made it a little special.
As for when this dish is to be eaten, Jamie said: “Before Christmas, Christmas Day as an alternative, a buffet, Boxing Day, easy peasy.”
Stuffed salmon (serves eight)
Ingredients
One heaped tbsp baby capers in brine
10 anchovy fillets in oil
Two sprigs of rosemary
10 mixed colour olives
One fresh red chilli
One lemon
1.2kg side of salmon, skin on, pin-boned
Method
1. You can prep this on the day, if you prefer. Put the capers into a small bowl, then tear in the anchovies and strip in the rosemary leaves.
2. Squash and destone the olives, tearing the flesh into the bowl, then finely slice and add the chilli. Finely grate over the lemon zest, squeeze in the juice, add two tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Place the salmon skin side down in the middle of your largest tray and use the tip of a small sharp knife to make deep cuts into the flesh at three centimetre intervals.
5. Now stuff each cut, using the knife to help you. I start by dividing up the olives and anchovies, then add the rosemary, chilli and capers. Take your time and enjoy the process. Sprinkle any excess around the salmon.
6. Preheat the oven to 180C. Roast the salmon at the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
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Lemon potatoes (serves 12)
Ingredients
2.5kg potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3cm chunks
Two lemons
Two tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
1. Parboil the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes.
2. Drain and leave to steam dry for two minutes, while you use a speed peeler to strip the peel off the lemons.
3. In your largest roasting tray, toss the potatoes with the lemon peel and juice, olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
4. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight (if required).
5. To cook, preheat the oven to 200C. Roast the potatoes for one hour, or until beautifully golden and crisp, tossing gently halfway through.
Tasty greens (serves eight)
Ingredients
800g mixed seasonal greens, discard tough stalks
Four blackberries
Two tbsp red wine vinegar
Four tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Half a tbsp fennel seeds
Method
1. Prep mixed greens, such as kale, cabbage or chard, discarding any tough stalks. In a small jug, fork up the blackberries into a mush, then mix with the red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
2. Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan on a medium heat until smelling fantastic, then add to the dressing.
3. Season to perfection, tasting and tweaking, then cover and refrigerate both overnight.
4. Blanch each type of greens in a large pan of boiling water until just tender but still full of life, then drain well and leave until cool enough to handle.
5. Pile the greens in the centre of a clean tea towel, wrap them up, and wring out really well to remove the excess liquid.
6. Unwrap and roughly chop the greens, then toss with the dressing until beautifully coated, and serve at room temperature.