PANKO & HERB COATED SALMON

After years of trying to introduce salmon into my life, I've finally been able to! Between you and me I always felt like a bit of a fraud, being a fitness instructor and an advocate of clean & healthy eating who DETESTED all fish and seafood! I was and am most definitely aware of the amazing health benefits of seafood, I just didn't like the taste at all. Over time I started to like and then love prawns, scallops and then several types of white fish, however the taste of salmon continued to repulse me. A few months ago a friend of a friend suggested that I coat salmon in panko breadcrumbs with lots of herbs and lemon and bake it. I tried it about a month ago, slathering the salmon with mustard as a means for the breadcrumbs to stick to the fish and adding delicious herbs from my garden. I tentatively bit into the baked salmon, then quickly chased it with a bite of steamed broccoli and sweet potato chips. And you know what?? It wasn't bad at all...it was actually good! It didn't taste like any salmon that I had tasted before. In addition, I was incredibly full and satisfied after finishing my fillet. Since that fateful day of experimenting, salmon has appeared in my diet once a week. Even more surprising, this recipe got my husband, a HATER of most things seafood, onto salmon! So for all those salmon lovers and more importantly haters out there, give this recipe a go!n 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 to 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, to brush 

2 salmon fillets, skin on

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

several sprigs of thyme, stems discarded

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

zest and juice of a small lemon

a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper

2 heaped teaspoons dijon, wholegrain or hot mustard

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a small baking tray with baking paper and lightly brush with the olive oil. 

2. Combine the parsley, thyme, breadcrumbs, lemon zest & juice and salt & pepper in a small bowl and stir well to combine. 

3. Place the fillets, skin down, onto the prepared baking tray. Spread the mustard evenly on top of the fillets, then spoon the breadcrumb mixture on top, taking care to gently press the mixture down onto the fillet. 

4. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the salmon is cooked. I like to cook my salmon medium, therefore I place a knife in the salmon and check that the flakes have separated and that the meat is a cloudy/opaque colour! 

Serves / 2 

Total Prep & Cooking time / under 20 minutes 

x PPS team