Black Lime Salmon
This deceptively simple salmon dish is as striking in flavor as in appearance, and will serve just as well for a dinner party centerpiece as a quick midweek dinner. The salmon is covered in a punchy black lime marinade, then baked in the oven and topped with fresh bursts of sour cream and grated tomato. Black limes (also known as Omani or Persian limes) are limes that have been boiled in salt water before being dried and blackened in the sun. They have an intensely sweet, citrusy flavor, with a hint of bitterness. Serve this salmon alongside a bowl of rice.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 3dried black limes (or 5 teaspoons black lime powder; see Tip)
- 2 ½teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 ½teaspoons sweet paprika
- Fine sea salt
- 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1whole (1½- to 2-pound) salmon fillet (skin on or off)
- 3plum tomatoes
- 1small garlic clove, minced
- ⅓cup/80 grams sour cream, plus extra to serve
Instructions
Step 1
Heat the oven to 475 degrees.Step 2
Place the limes, sugar, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon of the paprika and 1 teaspoon of salt in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with the oil.Step 3
Place the salmon in a large roasting pan, skin-side down if using a skin-on fillet, and cover the salmon with all of the oil mixture. Roast until the salmon is just cooked through and flaky, about 12 minutes, then let rest for 2 minutes before serving.Step 4
While the salmon roasts, grate the tomatoes on the coarse side of a box grater, discarding the spent skins. Transfer into a fine sieve set over a bowl and stir a few times, then discard the strained liquid. Transfer the tomato pulp into the bowl, and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon paprika, the garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt.Step 5
To serve, carefully transfer the salmon to a serving platter, then dollop the sour cream over the salmon followed by half of the tomato mixture. Spoon the roasting oil back over the salmon and serve with the extra sour cream and tomato on the side to taste.