Chilled Roasted Salmon

with Middle Eastern Spices and Pomegranate Glaze

Jump to Recipe

When buying groceries, I almost always choose organic when I can, and when buying seafood I always go for wild caught, rather than farmed.

Almost always.

Norwegian farmed salmon is the exception.

Farm raised salmon from Norway is different from salmon that’s been farmed in other locations. They’re free of antibiotics and are fed a sustainably sourced, non-GMO diet. I’m not sure if it’s because they spend their lives in those icy North Atlantic waters, but I think it’s better tasting than most wild salmon that’s available. Apparently I’m not alone, as it’s been deemed the most popular salmon in the world.

What’s more, it’s super healthful.

Fun Fact: Until the Japanese were introduced to Norwegian Salmon, raw salmon was not a thing. It was not one of the fish that was considered to be safe for sushi.

I do love sushi, but when I’m cooking salmon I like it medium-rare. When prepared that way, the interior is soft and juicy and flavorful. In my opinion, when it’s thoroughly cooked all the way through, it’s dry and has lost a lot of its flavor. If you’ve never tried it “gently cooked,” I suggest you do so. You can always cook it further if it doesn’t make you happy.

This recipe is lovely served chilled. It makes a nice change from the ubiquitous gefilte at the Shabbat dinner table. I generally serve it with this salad.

At my house, there are always vegetarians present, and I don’t like to serve a course where half the people in the room are watching the other half eat. These two dishes complement each other well. That said, they both stand just fine on their own .

Tonight, I’m making this salmon as part of my menu for Parashat Shelach.

It’s a very versatile recipe—In 5 ounce portions, it makes a very nice “company” lunch. You can also serve it warm, as a dinner entrée.

I’ve encountered some confusion on the subject of pomegranate molasses, so in case you’re unsure…

Pomegranate molasses has nothing at all to do with the molasses that we Americans are familiar with, which is a by-product of refining cane sugar. Pomegranate molasses is simply concentrated pomegranate juice. That means, if you don’t have any, you can just boil down some 100% pomegranate juice until it becomes thick and syrupy. Store-bought is easier, though. If you don’t have a local store that carries pomegranate molasses, you can get some from Amazon. I like this one from Cortas, as it has good flavor and contains nothing artificial.

Chilled Roasted Salmon with Middle Eastern Spices and Pomegranate Glaze

Serves 4—5 as an appetizer (3—4 ounce servings)

 Ingredients:

• 12 ounces fresh (preferably Norwegian) salmon, skin on, cut from the thick end.

• 1 ½ teaspoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil (approximately)

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin seed

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander seed

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/8 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

• A pinch of ground allspice

• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar (divided use)

• 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

• Optional: A handful of pomegranate arils.

• Also optional: some chopped parsley and/or cilantro, for garnish

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425°

• Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

• In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt, Aleppo pepper, allspice, and 1 teaspoon of the light brown sugar.

• Remove the cold salmon from the fridge. Cut the salmon crosswise into 4 or 5 pieces.

• Rub a little olive oil on all sides of each piece of fish. You don’t want it swimming in oil. Just a very light coating is perfect.

• Rub some of the spice mixture onto the top and sides of each piece. How much you use is up to you. I like to use enough to deeply flavor the fish while still allowing the flavor of the salmon to shine through. A nice, even, but light coating is all you want. Any leftover seasoning can be stored in a jar. Label it “Middle Eastern spice mix” so that, when you find it in a few months, you won’t be scratching your head, trying to figure out what it is and what to use it for (like I’ve done countless times!). Sprinkle the skin with a touch of the spice mix and lay the salmon slices, skin side down, on the prepared pan. Set the pan in a safe place where the cats can’t get to it—I set it in the microwave—and let it rest for 20-30 minutes so that the fish can absorb the flavors of the rub while it comes to room temperature.

• Meanwhile, in another little bowl, stir the remaining brown sugar into the pomegranate molasses. Different brands of pomegranate molasses contain different amounts of sugar, ranging from none at all to quite sweet, so taste as you go. The goal is to have a glaze with a pleasant tartness that isn’t too sour or too sweet.

• Just before sliding the pan into the oven, generously brush the tops of the salmon with the glaze.

• After 8 minutes of roasting, check the salmon. I like my salmon medium rare, leaning more towards rare. If you like yours cooked all the way through you might want to roast it a little longer.

• Set the pan back into your “safe zone” and let it stand until it cools to room temperature. Then, transfer the salmon pieces to a dish with high enough sides so that you can cover it with plastic wrap of foil and not have the wrap touching the top of the salmon.

• When ready to serve, set a piece of fish on each plate with some of this salad. Garnish with some pomegranate arils and/or some chopped green herbs, if you’d like.