Autumn, to me, is when some of the most exciting cooking of the year happens – I’m already greedily eyeing up the squash that are starting to pile up outside my local greengrocers.
I love this transitional time of year and this recipe corresponds to it perfectly. Long-time readers may recall my obsession with fig leaves, which have a beautiful, musky, coconutty aroma and can be used in all kinds of culinary applications. Previously I’ve featured them in salads, but this time I’m borrowing an idea from Samin Nosrat’s essential cookbook, Good Things, and using them to wrap a large fillet of salmon before it roasts. (As she notes, however, this idea doesn’t originate with her – the technique dates all the way back to ancient Greece.)
Roasting salmon in fig leaves imparts the fish with their beguiling fragrance. This low-and-slow method is also exceptionally gentle, and leaves the salmon ridiculously buttery and tender. It’s a showstopper dish that you could make for a party, but it requires only a handful of ingredients and minimal prep. The fig leaves may need to be foraged around your neighbourhood, but they are surprisingly ubiquitous, especially around London – Nicola Lamb has good advice about finding them. Just be respectful when sourcing them, bring scissors and look for glossy, healthy leaves.
There are many sides that would work with this salmon, though I revisited a previous favourite and made Greek-style lemon potatoes, as I did to accompany last spring’s lamb souvlaki. Vivid, fresh and lemony, they’re a lovely contrast to the richness of the fish.
They also perfectly complement Burning Sky Brewery’s Woven Brett Pale Ale. Itself light and fresh, with a citric side and subtle funk imparted by three different strains of Brettanomyces wild yeast, it harmonises with the potatoes perfectly, while not overstepping the delicacy of the salmon. Together, they’re a fitting final toast to the end of summer.
Fig-Leaf-Wrapped Roast Salmon with Lemon Potatoes
Adapted from Samin Nosrat and The Kitchn
Serves 4-6
For the lemon potatoes:
1kg new potatoes
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 lemons
2-3 tablespoons mild yellow mustard (such as French’s, not Colman’s) or Dijon mustard, to taste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
150ml chicken or vegetable stock
For the salmon:
6-8 large fig leaves
1 900g fillet salmon (or trout), skin and pin bones removed
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
To serve:
Fresh dill
Crème fraîche (optional)
1. First, prepare the lemon potatoes. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Wash the potatoes, but don’t worry about peeling them. Slice in half lengthwise and set aside.
2. Next, make the lemon sauce for your potatoes. Add the olive oil to a large mixing bowl. Zest and juice the lemons; next, add the mustard, dried oregano, salt and pepper, and stir briefly to combine. Add the potatoes and toss until evenly coated. 3. Transfer the potatoes and any extra lemon sauce to a roughly 9” x 13” roasting pan. Pour over the chicken stock. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 1 hour.
4. After 1 hour, remove and discard the foil. Stir briefly to mix, then roast for an additional 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Next, lower the oven heat to 110°C. Wash and dry the fig leaves well. Place half of them, shiny side up, in an overlapping layer on a large baking tray. On a cutting board, season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Drizzle over 3-4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and rub gently over the salmon.
6. Transfer the salmon to the bed of fig leaves. Next, place the remaining fig leaves over the top of the salmon, folding up some of the bottom leaves to encase it as much as possible. (That said, don’t worry if there are any small gaps.)
7. Roast the salmon for roughly 45 minutes; it’s done when it delicately flakes when you insert a knife into the thickest part of the fillet. (Note that, due to the gentle cooking method, it may still look semi-transparent when fully cooked.) 10 minutes before it’s done, put the potatoes back in the oven to warm gently.
8. Remove both from the oven. Unwrap the salmon, tear into large rough pieces and divide between plates, alongside the potatoes. Garnish with the fresh dill and basil, and dollop crème fraîche on the side, if using.
Claire M Bullen is a professional food and travel writer, a beer hound and all-around lover of tasty things. You can follow her at @clairembullen. For more recipes like this, sign up to our HB&B All Killer No Filler beer subscription - you'll receive Claire's recipe and food pairings, plus expert tasting notes, with 10 world-class beers like this one every month.
