Description
Gordon Ramsay’s Christmas Salmon is a festive and flavorful dish featuring a tender, honey-garlic glazed salmon side, baked and broiled to perfection. It’s served with a creamy dill sauce and a vibrant dried cranberry and almond tapenade, garnished with pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, and a hint of lemon juice, making it a stunning centerpiece for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Salmon
- 1.2–1.5 kg side of salmon
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 120 ml honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Dill Sauce
- 360 ml sour cream
- 120 ml chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 grated eschalot
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
Tapenade
- 150 g dried cranberries
- 240 ml hot orange juice (for soaking cranberries)
- 120 g toasted almonds
- 80 ml chopped fresh parsley
Garnishes
- Pomegranate seeds
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the dill sauce and tapenade: Combine all dill sauce ingredients—sour cream, chopped fresh dill, grated eschalot, and lemon zest—in a bowl and mix well until smooth. In a separate bowl, soak dried cranberries in hot orange juice until plump. Then mix these cranberries with toasted almonds and chopped fresh parsley to create the tapenade. Cover both and refrigerate until serving.
- Preheat oven and prepare salmon: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the seasoned side of salmon on a parchment-lined sheet of foil, ready for glazing.
- Make and apply glaze: Melt the unsalted butter and combine with honey and minced garlic to create a rich glaze. Pour this evenly over the salmon ensuring full coverage. Wrap the salmon tightly in the foil to seal in the flavors and moisture.
- Bake the salmon: Place the foil-wrapped salmon on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, allowing the salmon to cook gently and absorb the flavors.
- Broil for finishing: Carefully unwrap the salmon from the foil. Switch the oven to broil mode. Broil the salmon for 7 to 10 minutes, watching closely until the glaze bubbles and turns a golden brown color, giving a beautiful caramelized finish.
- Rest the salmon: Remove the salmon from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. This helps the juices redistribute, keeping the salmon moist and flavorful.
- Serve with sauces and garnishes: Spoon the creamy dill sauce generously over the salmon. Then add the cranberry and almond tapenade on top. Scatter pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley leaves for a festive touch. Finish with a splash of fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the salmon is fresh and of high quality for the best flavor and texture.
- Soaking dried cranberries in hot orange juice plumps them up and adds a lovely citrus sweetness.
- Broiling at the end is key to achieve a beautiful caramelized glaze—watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Letting the salmon rest after baking ensures a juicy and tender final dish.
- This dish pairs wonderfully with roasted vegetables or a light green salad for a complete holiday meal.
