Salmon with Fennel and Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Salmon with fennel and slow roasted tomatoes is a simple, elegant dish with beautiful, natural combinations of flavor. You can make a sauce vierge to drizzle over the top but the fish and fennel are such a perfect pairing that you don’t even require a sauce.

Let’s talk fennel…

This salmon recipe is a simplified version of a dish I used to prepare for guests while working in the yachting industry. Seafood and fennel are such a perfect pairing. The anise flavour of fennel, whether raw or cooked, goes beautifully with salmon, white fish, prawns, calamari, etc. I love shaving fennel into cold seafood salads on a summer’s day. Roasted fennel is gorgeous any day but place it alongside a rich fish like salmon and it’s like yin and yang.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes…

If you have not made slow roasted tomatoes before then prepare to be amazed! These little tomato gems might become your new favourite vegetable side dish. Slow roasted tomatoes are wonderful in this salmon recipe but go equally as well with rich meats like beef and lamb. They add an amazing depth of flavour to any meal. You do need to plan ahead. As their name implies they need to cook slowly and for a long time. But every bite is worth every minute they spend in the oven. Trust me!

Sauce Vierge….

Sauce Vierge is a traditional French sauce paired with fish and seafood. It is simple but adds a sophisticated finish to the dish. If you are short on time or want to avoid the extra calories you can omit the sauce. However, if you are preparing this salmon recipe for guests please take the extra few minutes necessary to make the sauce. It’s the icing on the cake.

If you are looking for other salmon recipes check out Creamy Salmon with Spinach, Tomatoes and Basil or Slow Roasted Salmon with Kale & Chickpeas. Three very different recipes for one great piece of fish!

A perfect pairing of fish and vegetables.

• Author: Jessica Verity
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 1.5 hours
• Total Time: 53 minute
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 4 salmon filets (6–8 oz each)
• 8 small plum or vine-ripe tomatoes
• olive oil
• sea salt and fresh black pepper
• 3 fennel bulbs
• For the sauce:
• 4 oz/120 ml red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed black peppercorns
• 1/2 small plum tomato, peeled and seeds removed, finely chopped
• 4 oz/118 ml olive oil
• a couple drops of lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/450F.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half. If using vine ripe tomatoes cut them horizontally. If using plum tomatoes cut them lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, cut side up. Brush with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 150C/300F and continue to cook for about 1 hour more, until they are shrivelled in size and concentrated in flavour. 
3. Trim the fennel, reserving fronds for garnish, and cut into thin slices lengthwise. You can keep the core intact but remove the outside root. Toss with a couple glugs of olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. Roast at 180C/350F for 35-40 minutes, until soft and taking on color. 
4. For the sauce: Place the vinegar, fennel seeds and peppercorns in a small sauce pan. Heat to a simmer and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 Tablespoons. Remove from the heat and add the tomatoes and olive oil. Stir and season with salt. Add a drop or 2 of lemon juice.
5. For the salmon: season with salt and pepper. Oil a grill or grill pan over medium high heat and place the salmon in the pan, skin side down. Cook until skin is crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook for a few more minutes, until done to desired temperature.
6. To serve: Line a plate with roasted fennel and place the salmon on top. Arrange the tomatoes around the salmon and drizzle a spoonful of sauce over the fish and around the plate. Garnish with fennel fronds.

Keywords: salmon recipe, salmon with fennel, slow roasted tomatoes, easy salmon dinner