Pistachio Crusted Salmon – Recipe!

Last summer we had a wonderful vacation in Alaska, where my kids went salmon fishing. They were lucky enough to catch 15 pounds or so of Coho, and we immediately shipped them home to enjoy. I was so delighted to have freshly caught salmon, so I could take it home and prepare it in many different ways.

I have a ton of salmon recipes, but there is something nice about roasting it in the oven. The fish keeps its tenderness, and doesn’t dry out like it has a tendency to on the grill. Adding a nutty crust on top of salmon preserves the juiciness of the fish, and adds an additional layer of flavor. Pistachios are an interesting nut to use because it becomes sweet when it cooks, nice with seafood.

Also, I created a simple Lime Aioli, or mayonnaise to serve with this salmon recipe because the creamy texture adds contrast to the fresh fish and completes the dish. You can prepare the Pistachio Crusted Salmon in 15 minutes or less, which makes it another easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh salmon fillet

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

zest of 1 lime

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

olive oil

Lime Aioli

juice of 1 lime

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup olive oil

pinch of salt & pepper

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove salmon from any packaging. Rough chop pistachios and zest lime. Add pistachios, lime zest, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to a bowl, stir.

2. Place fish on a sheet pan coated with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle nutty topping on fish and press into flesh. Drizzle top with 2 teaspoons of oil. Roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, for medium doneness.

3. In a blender, add juice of 1 lime, egg yolk and pinch of salt and pepper. While blender is running, slowly drizzle oil into egg mixture. Do not drizzle to fast, or aioli will not come together. Spoon into a bowl.