Crispy Skinned Salmon with Brown Rice and Vegetables

This meal will take 45 minutes to make and it is bursting with flavour and good nutrition.

Salmon is a fantastic source of omega-3 and vitamin D. Buy wild if you can as the diet of farmed salmon is very different to that of wild salmon (i.e. not the natural diet of salmon); wild salmon has higher nutritional content. Brown rice will provide you with vitamin B1, amino acids and molybdenum.

You can find out more about essential vitamins and minerals here.

Prep time 15 minutes. Cooking time 30 minutes.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

  • 4 x 110g salmon fillets, skin on, bones removed (if possible)
  • 1¼ – 1½ cups of brown rice
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1.5cm piece of fresh ginger, diced (similar amount to the garlic)
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 large red pepper/capsicum, diced
  • 2 courgettes, diced
  • 1 bunch of (4-5) spring onions, sliced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and grated
  • 2 tsp Dried sage
  • 3 tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Fennel seeds
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black Pepper
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • Juice of 1-2 limes

Method

  1. Prepare all of the veg
  2. Wash the rice then cook with a pinch of salt according to packet instructions using the absorption method (brown rice usually takes around 25-30 minutes to cook).
  3. Meanwhile place the salmon on a baking tray and place under the grill, set to a medium heat, skin side up. Set timer for 10 minutes.
  4. While the salmon is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion on a medium-high heat for around 5 minutes then add the garlic, ginger & chilli and stir until fragrant. Stir in the capsicum, courgettes, spring onions, carrots, sage and thyme.
  5. After 10 minutes under the grill, remove the salmon and gently nudge each piece with a fish slice to ensure it isn’t sticking to the baking tray. Carefully peel off the skin using a butter knife and turn the skin over. Sprinkle the newly exposed side of the skin with the fennel seeds, black pepper and salt. Place back under the grill and set the timer for 5 minutes.
  6. During this 5 minutes stir fry the vegetables in the frying pan.
  7. Once this 5 minutes is up, remove the salmon from the grill, turn the skin back over, sprinkle with salt and pepper and return to the grill for a final 5 minutes.
  8. By now, the rice should be cooked and all of the water absorbed. Add to the ingredients in the frying pan and stir well. Stir in the soy sauce and lime juice.
  9. Serve the rice in the centre of a plate topped with the salmon.

Beware of any bones that may remain in the fish.