pistachio roast salmon

Pistachio Crusted Roast Salmon
 recipe and image found here at Sally Cameron

I tried this recipe the other day, and made it along with Ina’s french lentils in her new “How Easy Is That?” cookbook.  There wasn’t any wild salmon available, so I actually tried it with chillean sea bass which was delicious.  Make sure you take the extra time to toast the breadcrumbs and pistachios – it brings out the flavor! Here’s a note on roasting times from source: My salmon filets were 1 1/4″ thick. I did them for 12 minutes in a convection oven at 375 degrees and they were perfect. For slightly rare salmon roast 11 minutes.

Serves 4
Ingredients
1 ½ – 2 pounds salmon, preferably fresh wild, skinned
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, toasted and finely chopped (if you use salted pistachios you may need less salt when seasoning your salmon)
1/4 cup Japanese Panko crumbs or unseasoned breadcrumbs, toasted
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or pistachio oil to drizzle at end
Directions
1)   Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees (375 convection)
2)   Carefully turn the salmon skinned side up and with a very sharp, thin knife (like a filet knife) trim out any dark purple areas. This is the salmon’s blood line and it can be strong tasting.  If you don’t mind that, you can skip the trimming.  Portion the filet into four pieces. Place filets on a foil covered rimmed baking sheet.
3)   In a small bowl, mix the Dijon mustard, butter and honey into a smooth paste. Set aside.
4)   In a small bowl, mix the pistachios, crumbs, parsley and chives.
5)   Season the salmon filets with salt and pepper to taste. Spread a little of the butter mixture on top of the filets. Coat the top of the filets with some of the nut-crumb-herb mix patting lightly. If you have extra of the herb crust mix it keeps for a few days refrigerated.
6)   Place the salmon in the oven and roast for 12-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets.
7)   Serve with lemon wedges