The recipe I’m sharing in this post is part two of a fabulous birthday dinner I prepared a few evenings ago. To see the first part of the dinner, please check out the Curry & Greek Yogurt Vegetable Salad I made. That one was very good and worth trying out.
The Recipe
Even though the salad was quite filling and very hearty, I’d say this was the legit main course. After all, it includes a nice salmon fillet and it was oven roasted in my trusted cast iron skillet.
There are a few really great aspects of this dish. First are the beets. I don’t eat nearly enough of these, even though I love them and they’re particularly good for the health. These beets are roasted as well and come out of the oven tender and tasty.
Second is the salmon. Since the fillet is placed on top of the seasoned and roasted beets for cooking, it stays moist and tender. It’s also smothered by the pile of olive oil coated (and seasoned) herbs, keeping the top just as flavorful and, once again, tender.
Finally is the herb topping that coats the salmon fillet. Much of this dish’s wow factor comes from this area. When you cut into the salmon with your fork, it easily breaks apart – and each bite is accompanied by some of the topping. It’s flavor on top of flavor on top of flavor. I’m just glad we have enough ingredients leftover for the same exact dinner tomorrow night.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
1 Pound (4) Medium Sized Beets, Trimmed, Cleaned and Thinly Sliced
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Regular Table Salt, Divided
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, Divided
1 1/2 Pounds Skinless Salmon Fillet
2 Tablespoons Scallions, Thinly Sliced
2 Tablespoons Parsley, Chopped
1 Teaspoon Dried Tarragon
Step-by-Step Instructions
I pulled this recipe from my new cookbook by Curtis Stone called Good Food, Good Life. This is an awesome recipe and I’d like to personally thank Curtis for all he’s shared in his books. I’m a huge fan.
Pre-Heat Oven
Go ahead and arrange one oven rack so it’s in the center position. Then, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Prepare the Beets
In a medium sized bowl, add the beets, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Toss until all the beet slices are coated with the oil.
Next, add the sliced beets to a large cast iron skillet and spread them evenly across its base.
Once that’s finished, place the skillet in the hot oven for 20 minutes to roast.
Prepare Herb Topping
In a small bowl, add the scallions, parsley, tarragon and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Also, add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well.
Cook Salmon
When the beets are finished cooking, remove the skillet from the oven, while keeping the heat on. Lay the salmon fillet on top of the beets and then spread all of the herb mixture evenly across the top of the salmon.
Then, return the pan to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. You’ll likely need the full time to properly cook the fish. I thought that was a bit much, but I realized that the salmon is being insulated on both the top and the bottom, so it does take a little time to get the heat in there.
The Final Dish
When the roasting has been completed, remove the pan from the oven and divide everything up with a metal spatula. You may plate from there.
I can’t wait to make this again. It really didn’t take much time at all and I enjoyed it immensely.
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