Mary Berry's quick salmon dish with semolina crust and zesty lemon sauce is bursting with flavour and ready in just 30 minutes. The recipe, which has received multiple five-star reviews on BBC Food, is described as fresh, invigorating, and ideal for summer.
Recipe Details and Reviews
The recipe notes state: "The semolina on top of the salmon gives a lovely crust and the paprika adds the flavour and colour. The sauce is bursting with sharpness, and samphire is a lovely, salty, green plant that grows naturally by the marshes and on the coast." This dish serves four people and can be prepared in advance.
Ingredients for the Salmon and Sauce
For the salmon, you will need a large knob of softened butter (plus extra for greasing), 25g semolina, one teaspoon of paprika, four 125g salmon fillets with skin removed, a small bunch of flatleaf parsley (leaves and stalks separated), salt and freshly ground black pepper, and half a lemon cut into four wedges to serve. The lemon sauce requires one large or two preserved lemons (quartered with pips removed), juice of half a lemon, three tablespoons of mayonnaise, and 200g crème fraiche.
Step-by-Step Method
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan) and lightly oil a baking tray. To prepare the salmon, scatter the semolina and paprika across a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Apply the butter on top of each salmon fillet and press the fillets, buttered side down, into the semolina blend to create an additional crust. Arrange the parsley stalks on the baking tray, then place the salmon fillets on top of them. Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the salmon is just opaque and the top is crisp and golden. If liquid begins to seep out, it is overcooked; it should be holding all of the juices.
To prepare the sauce, place the parsley leaves in a food processor. Add the preserved lemon and blitz until finely chopped. Add the lemon juice, mayonnaise, and crème fraiche, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Process until combined. Once ready to plate up, cook samphire in a pan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Pour the lemon sauce into a saucepan and warm it gently until it has just melted. Dish up the salmon fillets alongside the samphire, sauce, and lemon wedges.
