Main Supper

Roast Salmon with Peas, Bacon & Braised Little Gem

"The accompaniment to this dish is a twist on the classic French dish, ‘petit pois à la française’, something I’m quite partial to, in which peas and lettuce are braised in stock and butter. My husband likes the addition of the bacon, but you could happily leave it out to make it a meat-free dish.” Carole Bamford, founder of Daylesford Organic

15 minutes prep, 40 minutes cook

Serves 4

Ingredients

320g fresh peas (or use frozen)

250g new potatoes (such as Jersey Royals), halved if large

2 carrots, cut into strips

4 skin-on salmon fillets, about 160g each

60g butter

3 tbsps olive oil

80g back bacon, cut into strips

1 banana shallot, finely diced

120ml vegetable stock

240ml double cream

4 tbsp chopped parsley

4 tbsp chopped mint

2 Little Gem lettuces, outer leaves removed, quartered salt and pepper

Method

Blanch the peas in boiling water for 1 minute and then refresh in iced water. Drain and leave to one side.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, adding the carrots for the last 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. In a frying pan over a medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil together and pan-fry the fish skin-side down for 8–10 minutes until golden brown, then turn over and cook for a further minute.

Remove to a plate and cover with foil.

Fry the bacon and diced shallot in the same pan for 2 minutes, before adding the vegetable stock, double cream, potatoes, carrots and peas; bring to the boil. Add the parsley and mint and season to taste.

Add the Little Gem wedges and simmer for a further 3 minutes.

To serve place two Little Gem wedges in each bowl or plate, spoon over some creamy vegetables and bacon and then place a salmon fillet on top.