I was raised on bagels. Not the round-bread-masquerading-as-bagels that you find in UK supermarkets – real East Coast bagels. Bagels heavily seasoned, then shellacked with an even heavier application of schmear.
Now, thankfully, more New York-style bagel businesses have opened in London in recent years, including favourites like Papo’s and Paulie’s. Meanwhile, stateside at least, everything bagel seasoning – typically a mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion, dried garlic and sea salt – has moved beyond the bagel and become a bona fide flavour trend in its own right.
A few months ago, I stumbled upon Carolina Gelen’s deconstructed reimagining of an everything bagel with lox in NYTCooking. Gelen ingeniously opted to coat a fillet of salmon in everything bagel seasoning and pair it with a tomato salad and cream cheese sauce.
I liked the sound of that tremendously, but I decided to simplify the recipe. Rather than pan-fry the salmon, as she does, I threw it in the oven for more hands-off cooking. I also skipped the cream cheese sauce in favour of a tomato and pickled onion salad topped with blobs of creamy goat cheese. To garnish, chives were a must, as were capers; however, I decided to fry mine for added crunch.
The truest pairing for this dish might be a takeaway coffee in a blue cup, but the better one is Judith Beck’s Pink Rosé. What a wine this is! Now packaged in a long-necked bottle, its elegant looks belie its unselfconscious joyfulness. Juicy with red fruits, crunchy-fresh, and featuring a hint of citrus, it’s vibrant, poppy, spring-drinking fun. It also works brilliantly with both salmon and goat cheese, making this pairing a rousing success – and the only way I want to have brunch from now on.
Everything Bagel Salmon with Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad
Adapted from Carolina Gelen
Serves 6
For the salad:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 2 lemons
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste
100g capers
Vegetable oil, for frying
1.2kg mixed cherry and vine-on tomatoes, halved (or cut into slices, if larger)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
250g soft goat cheese
20g chives
For the everything bagel seasoning:
4 teaspoons white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, or additional white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons dried garlic
2 teaspoons dried onion
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
For the salmon:
6 fillets salmon
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1. First, prepare the pickled onions. Add the red onion slices to a small nonreactive bowl and mix with the lemon juice and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Leave to quick-pickle for 20-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, fry the capers. Drain and dry thoroughly (if using brine-packed, rather than oil-packed, capers); this will help prevent them from popping out of the pan when frying. Add just enough vegetable oil to a medium frying pan to cover its base and place over medium-high heat.
3. Once hot, add the capers; they will sizzle vigorously at first. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until they have darkened, turned crisp and bloomed open. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and leave to cool.
4. Next, prepare your everything bagel seasoning. Mix together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion and sea salt. (This makes more than you’ll need, so you’ll likely have some left over for sprinkling over avocado toast or whatever you choose to use it for.)
5. Next, prepare the salmon. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with foil and drizzle over 1-2 tablespoons of oil, rubbing to lightly coat the foil.
6. Shake 6-8 tablespoons of your everything bagel seasoning onto a large plate. Pat the salmon fillets dry, then place them, skin-side up, on the seasoning-covered plate. Move them to ensure the top and the sides, but not the skin, of each fillet are well-coated; you may need to do this in batches or use more seasoning if needed.
7. Arrange the fillets, skin-side down, on your foil-lined baking tray. Lightly drizzle an additional 1-2 tablespoons of oil over the fillets before transferring to the oven. Roast for 10-15 minutes, depending on their thickness and how well-done you like your salmon.
8. While the salmon is cooking, prepare the salad. Arrange the tomato halves cut-side up and season to taste with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide between plates and mix with the pickled onion slices. Crumble the goat cheese evenly over each portion of tomatoes, then divide the fried capers between them. To garnish, use kitchen shears to snip the chives directly over each portion.
9. As soon as the salmon is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven. Divide between plates and serve immediately.
Claire M Bullen is a professional food and travel writer and all-around lover of tasty things. You can follow her at @clairembullen. For more recipes like this, sign up to our Natural Wine Killers wine subscription - you'll receive Claire's recipe and food pairings plus expert tasting notes for three amazing wines like this one every month (or two, if you choose our bi-monthly option).
