Pan-seared salmon with chickpeas and roasted vegetables

I think we all have that one healthy friend. You know, the one who doesn't scan the dessert menu before they look at the mains, and could actually say no to chocolate cake anyway. The one who was into quinoa, turmeric and dates way before they became mainstream in the West. The one who comes back from the gym glowing rather than sweaty, not a hair out of place, drinking water from a BPA-free water bottle like someone from a freaking Nike commercial. For me, that insufferable friend is Danni. Yes, Danielle, I'm talking about you.

At university, all my flatmates had very different tastes in food - we were only really united by pizza and cake. There would be Kenny crunching on his overly al dente pasta or burnt pizza, Sammy eating plain tuna out of sachets or snacking on mugs of cereal without milk, Alice making tbh very tasty quesadillas or other delicious cheese-based items, Joe having curry on rice on naan or Fay serving us her unbelievably gooey monster cookies or perfect roasted potatoes. Disclaimer: they did obviously also eat normal food. And then, there was Danni.

Danni with her yogurt and berries, Weetabix and almond/soy milk, coffee with agave nectar, sourdough sandwiches with almond butter and dates, roasted chicken (a ruthless, meticulous process not unlike witchcraft), tuna, cooked beetroot and salads. This isn't a catalogue of sins, it's one of impressive discipline. Every night of our first term at university, Danni made some variation of the roasted vegetables pictured above. We'd watch her chop  veg in all the colours of the rainbow and then sprinkle the mountain with spices and lashings of olive oil before roasting. We were fascinated, we were awed, we were humbled - and so we teased her mercilessly :) Whenever I make a tray of roasted vegetables, I think of Danni and of that crazy beautiful first year. 

This is a really simple weeknight recipe that only takes thirty minutes from start to finish. It's healthy but it's also hearty, warming and as visually appetising as it is tasty. I use olive oil (not extra-virgin, use that for salad dressings not cooking) and you can totally use it as is. I like to take the easy extra step of steeping the oil in a little crushed garlic and some shredded basil leaves. I do this after breakfast or lunch and then it's beautifully infused by evening. I did think about whizzing it in the blender but didn't want the garlic or basil to burn while cooking. This way, I just roast the garlic with the vegetables and reuse the basil as a garnish. With the roasted vegetables, honestly use whatever veg you have sitting in the fridge. Red or green peppers, butternut squash or sweet potato would all be welcome here. I threw in some chilli-powdered chickpeas because I love their firm little bites dispersed throughout. The flavour and aroma of the mixed herbs, olive oil and chilli flakes really seep into the veg as it cooks and caramelises in the oven. 

Now, let's talk about the salmon. Urgh I just love salmon. It is such a versatile, tasty fish. I could, and you can,  easily bake the salmon on top of the roasted vegetables and it will be super tasty. But please, it is almost as effortless to make this pan-seared salmon and it's so rewarding. I like to do it so that it colours beautifully on every side and cooks all the way through, but is still meltingly tender. If you like it a little more pink in the middle, you can reduce the time you cook it skin-side up - and of course, it also depends on how thick your fillet of fish is, so use your judgement. The key, however, is to let it cook for a full five minutes, totally undisturbed, skin-side down to start with. The  skin acts like a buffer, allowing the heat to distribute more evenly through the fish. While that's happening, I simply garnish it with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch or two of unsmoked paprika. Follow my method below for perfect salmon in just ten minutes. And if you do, please comment and let me know how it goes!

Happy birthday, Daniella <3 Enjoy your travels but come back soon, and don't forget to bring your dimpled grin and dirty mind with you.

Pan seared salmon with chickpeas and roasted vegetables

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves, roughly shredded
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 medium-sized courgette, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, roughly quartered and then halved
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs or dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed chillies or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 boneless salmon fillets
• 1/4 teaspoon unsmoked paprika
• salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste
• Italian salad leaves/rocket leaves/baby spinach, to serve (optional)

METHOD

Sometime during the day, add the crushed garlic and basil leaves to the olive oil. Cover with clingfilm and let steep for a few hours.*

In the evening, preheat oven to 190°C. 

Add the chopped vegetables to a baking tray or roasting dish. Toss the chickpeas with the chilli powder and a pinch of salt and then scatter over the vegetables. Drizzle with two tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with the mixed herbs, chilli flakes, black pepper and salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes or longer, depending on your choice of vegetables.

Take the salmon fillets out of the fridge and let rest for 10-15 minutes on the counter.

Heat a nonstick pan over a medium-low flame. When hot, drizzle in about a tablespoon of the oil over the pan, coating the surface evenly. Add the salmon fillets, skin side down. Don't worry if the oil spits a bit. Let it cook, completely undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Season the fish generously with salt, pepper and a pinch or two of the paprika. 

After the five minutes, flip the fish so it's skin-side up and cook for another 2-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. Mine were thick so I let them sit for a whole 4 minutes. 

Next, and this step is optional, I like to turn each fillet on its side and cook each side for another minute more. And that's it for the fish!

To serve, spoon the roasted vegetables and chickpeas over a bed of salad leaves. You can either place the salmon fillet on top, whole, or shred it evenly over the vegetables. 

Notes: You won't use all of the oil for this dish; use any leftovers as a salad dressing with some lemon juice.
 Fish fresh out of the fridge will seize when it makes contact with the hot pan, so it's better to get it closer to room temperature before cooking.