Name: Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 6-oz. salmon fillets; Sea salt and black pepper, to taste; ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, divided; ¼ c. fresh lemon juice, divided; 1 t. Dijon mustard; 1½ T. runny honey; 1 garlic clove, finely minced; ½ c. pistachios, roughly chopped; 1 t. ground cardamom; 1-pint cherry tomatoes; 6 c. mixed salad greens; 1 medium cucumber, diced; ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced; ¼ c. Kalamata olives, chopped

Adding a tasty crust to a salmon fillet is the perfect way to add extra flavour to an already delicious piece of fish. Things like lemon and herb are classic crusts but that isn’t the only thing you can add to your salmon. With this recipe, we are going with pistachio-crusted salmon and served with cooked cherry tomatoes. Ready to give it a try?

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What to use if you don’t like pistachios

Pistachios are perfect for a salmon crust because they bring the crunch of nuts but also their unique flavour. Plus they look really cool with their green tinge when sitting on the pink salmon.

But not everyone likes pistachios or their flavour. So what you can substitute for them if you aren’t a fan?

Four main alternatives bring the crunchiness of the nuts but have their own unique flavour profile: pecans, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts. Or you could go mad and try a half portion of two of them, mixed together.

Skin on or off for salmon filets?

Thre’s no right or wrong answer to this one but more about preference and just how much crust you want to add.

Robert always says that salmon cooks best with the skin on but not everyone likes to then have to remove it. Plus it can be messy. So if you are okay, keep it on or if not, remove before cooking.

You can also add the crust to both sides if you remove the skin and want more crunch and flavour. For this, add around ¼ cup extra ingredients to the crumb to compensate for covering a bigger area.

More recipe inspiration

Inspired to try more salmon dishes? Try this Salmon and Parma Ham with Basil Pesto Dressing for a great light meal option. Or for something with cod instead, check out this Cod Caponata recipe.

What you need to make pistachio-crusted salmon

4 6-oz. salmon fillets
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
¼ c. fresh lemon juice, divided
1 t. Dijon mustard
1½ T. runny honey
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ c. pistachios, roughly chopped
1 t. ground cardamom
1-pint cherry tomatoes
6 c. mixed salad greens
1 medium cucumber, diced
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
¼ c. Kalamata olives, chopped

Kitchen equipment

Large baking sheet
Small glass bowl (2)
Whisk
Large glass bowl

How to make the recipe

STEP 1: Pre-heat oven to 375°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat. Place salmon fillets on the prepared baking sheet and generously season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Set aside.

STEP 2: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil with 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Add the mustard, honey, and garlic and whisk to combine. Brush each fillet with the honey-mustard mixture until coated.

STEP 3: Add chopped pistachios and ground cardamom to a small bowl and stir to combine. Evenly divide the pistachio mixture among the salmon fillets, gently pressing the mixture into each fillet to ensure it adheres.

STEP 4: Place the cherry tomatoes in a medium bowl and drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Arrange the seasoned tomatoes around the salmon fillets and place in the pre-heated oven to roast until the salmon is flakey and the cherry tomatoes are blistered, approximately 13-15 minutes.

STEP 5: Meanwhile, combine the mixed salad leaves, cucumber, red onion, and Kalamata olives in a large bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Set aside.

STEP 6: Once baking time is complete, remove salmon and tomatoes from oven. Serve immediately with the fresh salad on the side.

Storing the recipe

Freezing the recipe: If you don’t think you are going to eat the salmon all in one go, it is best to freeze with the fewest ingredients possible. You can freeze it either uncooked or you can oven cook it on its own then cool and freeze it. Don’t freeze it with the tomatoes as these will change the flavour of the fish.

Recipe tips

Leave tomatoes out of the oven if you prefer raw one. While cooking them is a nice touch to enhance their flavour, not everyone likes them cooked. So if you prefer, just slice or half them and add them to the side of the salmon after cooking.

Cardamom is one of the slightly lesser-known spices and can be a little on the expensive side. If you are looking for alternatives, you can mix together equal parts of cinnamon and either nutmeg, ginger or ground cloves and use this in place of cardamon in the recipe.

Yield: 4 portions