We love fish around here, so every time I have the chance, I get some nice freshly cut fillets or maybe a whole fish. I usually go the oven-baked way, but I also like frying it sometimes. And with salmon fillet, it’s a tie: I like to crisp it skin-down on the stove top before popping it in the oven just until the meat turns light pink, perfectly flaky and still a bit juicy. This is where a cast iron skillet or one with a removable handle really comes in handy. If you don’t have one, you can just transfer the salmon fillets to an oven-proof dish before baking.

I found these really lovely salmon fillets at the market and I made them into a simple and cozy dinner for three yesterday evening. I paired it with cooked broccoli florets covered in a nice olive oil, lemon and rosemary sauce and it was just the right amount of melt-in-your-mouth-goodness with a touch of that-was-so-easy-to-make. This dish would also make for a great lunch, although I have to recommend it for dinner, as it pairs nicely with the crispness of the chilly Autumn evenings and a nice glass of white wine. Bon appétit!

Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Broccoli

Serves 3, feel free to adjust to your serving needs

3 salmon fillets, skin on

Two handfuls/500g broccoli florets, washed

Juice from 1 lemon

2 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil (feel free to add more if you like)

1 sprig fresh Rosemary, leaves picked and chopped finely

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. First, make the sauce. In a mortar, pound the rosemary until it becomes paste-like, add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix everything together until it has a nice sauce-like consistency. Bring a a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the salmon fillets, skin-down in the pan and fry for two minutes. Then flip them over, so that the skin is upside. Remove from the hob and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes more, until light pink and flaky. Just when you’ve put the salmon in the oven, place the broccoli in the boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove the broccoli and drain, then toss with the sauce and divide between 3 plates. As soon as the salmon is done, place the fillets on top of the broccoli on the plates. Enjoy!