A simple supper of pan-fried salmon served with light pea pancakes
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
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You can make this with farmed trout fillets – try ChalkStream trout from Hampshire – wild Alaskan sockeye salmon or even hot smoked salmon. If you use hot smoked salmon there is no need to cook it – you can warm the fillets in the oven or in a little butter in a frying pan, or you can serve it at room temperature. The cooking time for fresh salmon or trout fillets will vary depending on their weight and shape. Flat fillets cook more quickly.
Overview
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 275g frozen peas, defrosted
- 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
- 100ml double cream
- 30g plain flour
- 25g butter, melted and cooled
- 1½ tbsp olive oil, for frying
For the herb crème fraîche
- 200ml crème fraîche
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
For the salmon and salad
- 125g peas, fresh or frozen (podded weight)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 15g unsalted butter
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 4 thick salmon fillets (about 140g each)
- 125g pea shoots
- 200g white crab meat (picked over to remove any bits of shell)
- 2 tbsp keta (salmon roe), optional
Method
Step
Make the pancake batter first. Put 275g defrosted peas in a food processor with 2 lightly beaten medium eggs, 100ml double cream and some seasoning. Pulse-blend to a rough purée (you want some big bits of pea left in).
Step
Stir in 30g plain flour and 25g melted and cooled butter. Set aside.
Step
Mix 200ml crème fraîche with the juice of ½ lemon, 2 tbsp finely chopped chives and 1 tbsp finely chopped shallots. Season.
Step
Cook 125g peas (podded weight if using fresh) for the salad: just until they are defrosted if you’re using frozen peas, or just until they have softened a little but still have bite if you’re using fresh.
Step
Drain, then rinse them in cold water and put in a bowl with 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Set aside.
Step
Preheat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6.
Step
Heat 15g unsalted butter and 1½ tbsp olive oil in a pan and cook 4 thick salmon fillets, skin-side down, for just long enough to get a good colour. Season.
Step
Turn over and cook on the other side very quickly, again just to get a good colour. Season again.
Step
Transfer the fillets to a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Step
Meanwhile, cook the pea pancakes. Heat 1½ tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and, once hot, add spoonfuls of batter to make four pancakes measuring about 8cm across. Once you can see that the batter is set underneath, turn over each pancake.
Step
Cook until golden on each side. Be careful: you don’t want the pancakes to become too dark – they should still be a beautiful green.
Step
Put a pancake on each plate. Toss 125g pea shoots into the peas then arrange on top of the pancakes.
Step
Sit a salmon fillet on top of this.
Step
Serve with a spoonful of the 200g white crab meat (picked over to remove any bits of shell) and a large dollop of crème fraîche on the side – you can top this with 2 tbsp keta (salmon roe), if using.