Pan Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Yellow Pepper, and Olives

I’m vague-ing it up a bit on the title because this dish is a work in progress. I started with this recipe. And can I tell you how sad I am that the print version of Everyday Food is going away? It’s become one of my very favorite food mags. Sniff. Anyway, the November issue had this series of roasting pan recipes. I’m no stranger to roasting root vegetables, but the idea of combining your protein with some well-chosen and placed veggies and herbs was intriguing. I’ve been experimenting with several combos. This salmon dish is great as is (check the link). The salmon cooks perfectly, but I like my veggies a little more browned and caramelized, so sometimes I take the salmon off and throw the pan back in for a few more minutes. The fennel and peppers are a great combo with the fish, and the olive garnish really takes it to a different level. So that’s awesome.

Pan Roasted Salmon with Shaved Fennel, Potatoes, and Shallots

So here’s my latest version. Note Tiffany’s Turnips on the side – they were delicious. I’m going to provide my recipe below, but basically you can throw anything on the pan that will cook in the same amount of time as your protein  With fish, that means cutting it thin or very small unless it’s a fast cooking veggie like zucchini or asparagus. One other main modification from the original – I put all the veggies, herbs, and seasonings in a bowl and toss thoroughly with olive oil before spreading on the pan around the fish. That guarantees that everything is equally coated. Be creative with your combos! Next up, sausage and root veggies!

Pan Roasted Salmon and Veggies

1 lb fresh salmon, bones removed (I cook it in one big chunk so the veggies get a little longer to roast)
1 small potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 small orange, zested and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a medium roasting pan with cooking spray (roasting pans are like cookie sheets, but with a rim all the way around). Toss veggies with 1/2 orange zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Make sure they are well coated.

Place salmon in the middle of roasting pan and season with salt, pepper, and remaining zest. Arrange orange slices on top. Scatter vegetables all around the fish. Try to keep the potatoes in one layer so they cook completely.

Roast in oven for 15 minutes or until salmon reaches desired doneness. Serve with rice or starch of choice.

Update:

I did this again tonight with thin sliced sweet potatoes, fennel, and onion with some lemon zest instead of orange. Awesome combo – really delicious.