Slow Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit, Fennel and Chile with Herby Shallot Vinaigrette
Slow-roasting salmon renders the meat tender and succulent— and fool-proof whether it be for company or a quick weeknight dinner— because the low gentle heat of the oven makes the risk of overcooking the salmon extremely low. The key to this dish is the vibrant freshness of the vinaigrette— the zing of grapefruit, the subtle bite of shallots, the heat of the jalapeño and the brightness of all the herbs all sing together and complement the fattiness of the salmon. Best of all, the vinaigrette (which is super versatile for other fish or salads) can be made days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
2 salmon fillets
1 small jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed and thinly sliced
1 grapefruit, zested, supremed* and juice reserved
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced with a mandoline or sharp knife
2 tsp fennel seed
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Dijon
3 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup chopped dill, plus more for garnish
¼ cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
METHOD
Preheat oven to 275F and place oven rack in lower third of oven.
Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder (or a ziplock bag and the bottom of a sturdy pan), add fennel seed and process until coarsely ground. Add ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper, mix to combine.
In a baking dish, add fennel, jalapeño zest, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with half of the fennel seed mixture and combine together. Place fillets (skin side down) atop fennel mixture and sprinkle with remaining fennel seed mixture. Place in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes or until firm and tender.
In the meantime, make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine grapefruit juice, shallot, Dijon, dill, parsley, remaining salt and pepper. Stream in olive oil while whisking. Set aside.
To serve, arrange fennel and jalapeño on plates and top with fillets and grapefruit segments. Spoon vinaigrette over. Garnish with dill and parsley, finish with sea salt and serve.
*To ‘supreme’ your grapefruit: With a sharp paring knife cut off the top and bottom peel. Sitting the grapefruit on its now flat bottom, carefully cut remaining peel off from top to bottom, curving your knife along the contour of the fruit, making sure to cut off all the pith to expose the segments of fruit. Continue around the entire fruit until all of the flesh is exposed. Then hold the grapefruit in one hand and use the other to gently cut down each side of the segment membrane, using the edge of your knife to ease it out. Continue turning the grapefruit and repeating with the next section. Do this over a bowl to catch all the juices— when finishing releasing the segments, squeeze the rest of the juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl.
