Baked Salmon for Christmas with Signe Johansen and the Norwegian Seafood Council
I have long been a fan of Scandinavian food. I have been cooking it at home via chefs like Signe Johansen and Trinne Hahneman along with dreaming of the day I get to eat it in an actual restaurant, or better still, in the region.
You should see how fast I replied when the Norwegian Seafood Council invited me down to Aveqia to cook and eat Norwegian Salmon with Signe Johansen. I think my reply was something along the lines of empty belly, turn up, me. Heck yes.
Norway is a leader in sustainable fisheries management and also the world’s largest producer of Atlantic salmon with over 1.1 million tonnes produced 2013, which is eaten in over 100 countries worldwide including here in the UK. The Norwegians tell us that Norwegian Seafood is the best and I was more than happy to go along and try it out.
We turned up to moresih canapés of Smoked salmon on crispbread with crème fraiche and pickled cucumber and baby smoked salmon roulades filled with a dill, lemon and horseradish cream cheese filling. It was great to catch up with friends from the food blogging scene over such delicious canapes.
Then we settled down to learn about Norwegian Salmon and cook along with Signe who gave us plenty of tips on cooking tips along the way. First up, we made our own Salmon smorrebord (open sandwich). We piled layers of smoked salmon, avocado and pickled cucumber finished with crème fraiche, fresh dill and horseradish unto some gorgeous sourdough. Heaven.
Then the main was a whole baked salmon stuffed with red onions and along with a kale, roast squash and pomegranate salad. Signe walked us through the very easy preparation before we settled down to eat one she made earlier. The salmon was absolutely and paired very beautifully with the refreshing flavour of the lemony pomegranate and kale salad. I just HAD to bring home a takeaway container full of this so that OH would try some as well. Obviously.
We ended with a deliciously cardamom spiced Fyrstekake (a Norwegian spiced tart) washed down with a heart stealing cherry glogg. Pity I did not have space for a second and third helping.
The great thing about this salmon is that preparation takes a whole 5 mins and it can be baked in advance and served cold. Same goes for the kale salad and the spiced Norwegian tart. So a great make ahead and lighter Christmas meal which means you have more time to spend catching up with with your guests, opening presents and drinking that tfab cherry glogg.
For more information on the Norwegian Seafood Council you can find them at their website – www.seafoodfromnorway.co.uk or Twitter @norwayseafood. Dear Santa, I think a hamper filled with Norwegian Seafood would make a great Christmas present. Please say hi to Signe @signesjohansen and make sure to put one of her three cookbooks on your Christmas wishlist.
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Baked Salmon for Christmas with Signe Johansen and Norwegian Seafood Council
Ingredients
For the roast salmon:
- 1 whole Norwegian salmon approx. 2 kg, descaled, gutted and cleaned
- 75 g butter
- 2 small red onions thinly sliced
- 2 unwaxed lemons thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot thinly sliced
- A bunch of fresh parsley
- Herbamare sea salt with herbs
- Salt and pepper
For the salad:
- 2 butternut squashes peeled, deseeded, and choped
- 2 bunches of kale
- Seeds from 2 pomegranates
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to fan assisted 130C / 150C / 300F /gas 2. You will need an oven large enough to place the butternut squash on one level and the salmon on another. Alternatively, you can choose to cook the butternut squash first and then follow this with the salmon if your oven has less capacity.
- You will need two long sheets of extra-strong aluminium foil a roasting tray. Butter both sheets to avoid the fish sticking. Place one sheet on top of the roasting tray and season with herbamare and pepper.
- Wipe the salmon dry and make three incisions into each side of the salmon. Stuff all six incisions with a piece of red onion, lemon, fresh parsley and carrot.
- Close the salmon and sprinkle with a little lemon juice to taste.
- Place the second sheet of foil on top of the salmon and crimp the edges inwards to create a parcel. Once sealed, place the salmon in the oven and roast for 1 ½ - 2 hours.
- For the butternut squash, kale and pomegranate salad. Place the buternut cubes in an uncovered tray and place in the oven. Allow 30 minutes for the squash to roast in the oven. Once the butternut squash is cooked, remove from oven.
- Finely chop the kale and add this to the pomegranate seeds. Toss together, cover and set aside until the salmon is ready to be served. Garnish the salad with the roasted butternut squash.
- Once the salmon is cooked and ready to serve, remove the top foil from the roasting tray and simply move a whole fish onto a presentation plate or board to place at the centre of the table.
- To serve, gently scrape off the skin (and assorted cooked vegetables from the incisions) and start portioning up the fish. Serve along with the salad and buttered new potatoes.
Notes
Thanks to the Norwegian Seafood Council for the invite and for the photographs. All opinions are my own.
Cooking a whole fish is always so intimidating to me but I love that this can be made ahead!
Next time give me a holler and I would be MORE than happy to go with you, Bintu. This would be so much fun and the salmon looks and sounds delicious. You brought back memories of Norwegian food when I spent four summers in Minnesota when I was a kid. I remember pastries, rhubarb…and what was the other thing…oh, Gravlax! 🙂
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I love salmon and this looks great. We normally have salmon every year for christmas I may need to try this recipe this year 🙂
This looks fab, such a shame I missed it. The flavours are so perfect and fresh. Glad you had fun. GG
I know GG. I was hoping to see you there. Next time maybe.
A baked salmon is very impressive especially at Christmas. It makes a great centre piece.
I agree. I still come back and look at the picture and drool.
What a beautiful looking dish and such a nice alternative to Turkey! I’d have jumped at the chance too 🙂
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Looks like an enchanting event! Love salmon and in fact all sea food! Lucky to meet Signes Johansen.
I was seriously chuffed to meet her too Heidi.
Oh how wonderful for you Bintu. I’m a big fan of Signe and have her baking book. I’m more than happy not to have gone to this event though. Even before I became a vegetarian, I couldn’t get on with fish.
We got one of her book Choclette but I so loved her spiced tart that I promptly went and bought her other book.
Sounds like a wonderful event, and the salmon looks delicious!
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I’d love to attend a cookery school and share enthusiastic comments with other people. What a great opportunity. The meal sounds wonderful and so easy to prepare.
It was great and I need to get myself back on another event with them.
oh wow that salmon looks delicious cant believe prep time is only 5 minutes. I love salmon too much to pass up this recipe thanks for sharing Bintu
The short prep time is the beauty of this Salmon recipe.
This sounds like such an incredible event! This is making me want to eat this now…although it’s breakfast time haha. Absolutely fab photos, and the presentation is so nice!! I’m not sure if I tried this mine would turn out anything like this but I think I’ll have a go anyway 🙂 Thanks for sharing! x
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The Norwegian Seafood Council really do know how to put on a spread. Have a go Tiny The main thing is the eating it – it tastes soooo good that the presentation does not matter.
Ahhh salmon – living the pacific northwest, it’s our ‘regional’ fish. No joke, we’re thinking of salmon for Christmas dinner this year, that main dish would be awesome for our dinner 🙂
You lucky thing Elsa. Salmon for Christmas would be amazing.
Sounds like a fab event. I love fish, and especially salmon. Healthy food source too! The Scandinavian’s do put us to shame in so many ways, and here again witht their commitment to sustainable fishing. Tx
I know right Tracey. I am pretty certain that there are going to be quite a few Scandinavian dishes in my house this festive period.
I’ve never really been a fan of salmon to be honest, but I had some on Sunday that was delicious. I think I’d stick to traditional turkey for Christmas dinner, but maybe have some sort of salmon starter 🙂
I am glad you tried it Louise – the salmon sandwich above was really good so that could be one idea for a starter.
Ooh this looks absolutely delightful, I love salmon, well I love all fish to be honest x
So do i Rachel. It is great to get introduced to new ways with Salmon especially for Christmas.
With the head on like that, it would perhaps make me feel a bit queasy I have to say.
Stephen, you can easily ask the fishmonger you get your Norwegian salmon from to take it off. It is sooo worth it.
I would never think to have salmon for Christmas lunch but this looks so delicious and easy to make x
Honestly Stephanie it was. And the fact that it was make ahead too was what sold me.