slow-roasted citrus and harissa salmon.

If you read my recent "Italian Sausage and Rapini White Wine Pasta" recipe, you might know that I'm working on redoing my older recipes. Truthfully I reference my own recipes a lot, either for my own use or to send to others, and in exploring some of my earlier work I noticed there were things that could use changing. This slow-roasted salmon is a little new mixed with a little old: It's technically a remake of my Moroccan Salmon recipe but with a totally new approach.

I fell in love with slow-roasting salmon earlier this year when I found a recipe online from a prior Conde Nast assistant. The recipe is inspired by the Bon Appetit kitchen, though I couldn’t quite find the recipe within Bon Appetit’s own archives. Nevertheless, the salmon is amazing, and made last-minute serving for unexpected guests a total breeze.  

I took her concept of a super-citrusy slow roast and paired it with the Moroccan elements of my original recipe, which included ingredients like tomatoes, onion, harissa, and lemon. In this version I added olives and removed bell peppers, though you could certainly swap the two if you wish. 

The result is an amazingly tender, soft, and citrusy salmon that flakes apart instantly. It’s not fishy at all, nor is it dry — in fact, it’s near-impossible for this salmon to be dry thanks to the cooking method. 

If you haven’t slow-roasted salmon yet, don’t worry: It’s very easy and much faster than slow-roasting meats. You typically want to work with a large piece of salmon, surround it with liquid (in this case, olive oil and citrus) and cook it in low, low heat until cooked through. It’s a great way to use lean cuts like Coho and Sockeye which often dry out when cooked other ways. 

Because you will be using a large piece of salmon, you'll want to plan this for serving to four or more people -- or making for meal prep. I love this with simple orzo salads, roasted veggies, or a couscous mixture like the one found in my grain bowl recipe. The leftovers last for about 5 days and can be gently reheated in the microwave until warm.

Enjoy!

Serves 4

Print Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 (2-3 - pound) side of salmon 

1 lemon zested and juiced, plus 1/2 lemon sliced

1 orange zested and juiced

1/4 cup olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon harissa

Pinch salt

Pinch pepper

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 

1/2 cup green and Kalamata olives 

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for topping

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 250 F. 

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice, orange zest and juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and harissa together. 

Add the onions, tomatoes, and olives and toss to coat. 

Arrange the salmon in a baking dish.*

Pour the citrus mixture over the salmon. The liquid should fully surround the salmon, but not quite submerge it.

Roast for 40-45 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through. It will be flaky and very moist, but pale in color and cooked through to 145F.

Remove from the oven and top with cilantro to serve. 

NOTES:

Be sure to use a baking dish with 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch walls to contain the poaching liquid. Think casserole dish, not sheet pan.

Other recipes that are also good:

Honey Roasted Brussels.

Artichoke and Orzo Soup.

Moroccan-inspired Tofu.

Greek Salmon Grain Bowls.

search recipes