Herbed Roasted Salmon & Vegetables with Lemon Chive Sauce
Submitted by leone8
Herbed roasted salmon with vegetables and lemon chive sauce: whole fillet marinated in garlic, rosemary, thyme, and parsley, roasted alongside potatoes, carrots, corn, zucchini, and peppers. Sheet-pan elegance.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
50 minREADY
100 minA full sheet-pan dinner that still looks dinner-party impressive. A whole side of salmon gets marinated in a simple garlic-rosemary-thyme-parsley oil, then roasts surrounded by red potatoes, carrots, corn, zucchini, and bell peppers tossed in the same marinade. One set of flavors, two components, one oven.
The timing trick is starting the vegetables 20 to 25 minutes before the salmon. Root vegetables need a head start, and throwing everything in at once leaves the fish overcooked before the potatoes ever get tender.
The lemon chive sauce is the grown-up finisher. White wine, fish stock, and shallot reduce with cream, then cold butter gets whisked in piece by piece to mount the sauce glossy and rich. A final stir-in of fresh chives and lemon zest brightens the sauce right before it hits the plate.
Chef Tips
- Pat the salmon completely dry before marinating. Wet fish sheds the oil and herbs onto the pan instead of absorbing them.
- Start vegetables first. The 20-to-25 minute head start is a must, not a suggestion.
- Mount the sauce with cold butter off the heat. Warm butter breaks the emulsion and leaves a greasy slick on top.
- Let the salmon rest 5 minutes after roasting. Cutting too soon releases juices and the fillet dries fast.
Variations
- Swap salmon for halibut, striped bass, or rockfish as the recipe suggests. All work with the same herb rub.
- Use asparagus and cherry tomatoes in place of the potato-vegetable mix for a lighter, springier plate.
- Add a tablespoon of Dijon to the sauce for a sharper, more assertive finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Seafood alternatives: snapper, halibut, rockfish, striped bass LEMON CHIVE SAUCE: Combine wine, fish stock, shallots and lemon juice in a medium sized saucepan; boil overhigh heat until reduced by half (to just under ½ cup). Add cream and boil until sauce reduces to just under ⅔ cup. Take off heat and slowly whisk in butter then stir in chives and lemon peel. (if making sauce ahead, leave out the chives and lemon peel. Stir sauce over low heat to rewarm - do not completely melt - then add chives and lemon peel) Makes about 1 cup In a small bowl, combine the garlic, oil, rosemary and thyme and parsley. Pour about ⅔ of it into another bowl and reserve for the vegetables. Rinse salmon and pat dry. Rub the remaining herb marinade over the fillet then season lightly with salt and pepper if desired. Lay fish on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan (you can prepare the fish up to this point earlier in the day then refrigerate until ready to cook) Bake in a 400 degree F oven until flesh in center of thickest area is nolonger translucent but is still very moist, 20 to 25 minutes for a fillet 1¼ to 1½ inches thick in center. Serve with Roasted Vegetables and Lemon Chive Sauce. (Note: Put vegetables in oven to bake 20 to 25 minutes BEFORE putting salmon in to bake) Peel carrots and trim stem ends. Cut potatoes into eighths. Husk fresh or frozen corn and cut into 1 inch rounds. Halve zucchini lengthwise, then cut diagonally into 2 inch pieces Quarter and seed bell peppers, then cut crosswise into narrow triangles. Place vegetables in a roasting pan or in an 11-by 17-inch baking dish and toss with reserved herb marinade. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven, until vegetables brown on bottom, about 15 minutes. Stir; cover pan and continuebaking, stirring once or twice, until potatoes are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes more. If cooked bits on pan bottom get very dark and you’re concerned about burning, add a few Tablespoons water or white wine. (If preparing vegetables early in the day, cover cut potatoes with water toprevent them from turning dark in the refrigerator. Cut and marinatingvegetables can also stand, covered, at room temperature several hours before cooking) A whole fillet of salmon surrounded by brightly colored vegetables is a spectacular sight. It is also easy on the cook. You can season the salmon and the vegetables early so they’ll be ready to go whenit’s time for baking.
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