It’s common knowledge that we need to include seafood in our diet for a healthy lifestyle. But if your family is like mine, you’ll no doubt be met with those three little words “not fish again!” as though it’s a nightly occurrence.
And to be honest it took me years (and a cooking lesson specifically on seafood) to feel at ease about serving fish to my family, let alone guests.
My cousin Giulia once told me she uses three simple and sure fire ingredients when cooking fish: salt, oil and lemon. Wrapped in foil and baked. Voila’. Or as the Italians say Ecco’.
She was right. I’ve been using this method on every type of fish I buy and it’s pretty much guaranteed. I say pretty much because you still need to ensure you don’t over cook it! That happens, I won’t lie.
I always add herbs to my fish – whatever is in my pantry or growing fresh. And here’s a tip: if you love buying fresh fennel and throw away the stalks, then stop. Unless you’ve got a compost bin or chickens, slice the stalks thinly and scatter all over the fish. It is the perfect choice to add flavour to fish.
The photo attached shows salmon steaks with thinly sliced fennel stalks and shallots ready to go into the oven. Plenty of salt, lemon juice (from my 20 year old tree) and olive oil. Wrapped or covered with foil and baked for about 10 mins. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the steaks and whether you’ve got a crazy oven like mine that likes to be a little unpredictable.
Bonus tip: you may end up with left overs as my daughter, who loves salmon (this week) still finds an excuse to eat only half.
Refrigerate for use in tomorrow night’s pasta dish. See Pasta with Salmon and Capers recipe.
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