Lemon Butter Salmon and Asparagus Traybake
Salmon fillets and new potatoes roasted together on one tray, with asparagus added near the end and a squeeze of lemon butter to finish. A bright, high-protein dinner with browned, tender edges.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 30
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Zesting
- Savory
- Standard
- Oven
- One pan
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Cut the new potatoes into 2 cm pieces. Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then cut the lemon in half.
~8 min
Zesting before cutting releases citrus oils from the peel, while cutting exposes juice for squeezing later.
Zesting Zest only the colored peel, avoiding the bitter white pith. Use light pressure and turn the fruit as you go.
-
Toss the new potatoes on the sheet pan with the olive oil, 0.5 tsp salt and the black pepper. Spread them in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
~15 min
A single layer with space between pieces lets moisture escape and hot air circulate, so potatoes brown instead of steam.
Roasting Spread ingredients in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates and edges brown. Crowding steams food and prevents browning.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the potatoes roast, trim the woody ends from the asparagus and cut the spears into 4 cm lengths. Melt the butter and stir in the lemon zest.
~5 min
-
Push the potatoes to the edges of the pan. Lay the salmon pieces in the centre, brush with half the lemon butter and season with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt. Scatter the asparagus around the salmon. Roast for 10 minutes.
~10 min
Pushing potatoes aside gives salmon direct pan contact for browning, while asparagus added now roasts without overcooking.
If the asparagus spears are thick, add them with the salmon; thin spears can go in for the last 5 minutes only so they stay crisp.
Roasting Spread ingredients in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates and edges brown. Crowding steams food and prevents browning.
-
Brush the salmon and asparagus with the rest of the lemon butter and squeeze over the juice of half the lemon. Roast for 5 more minutes, until the salmon flakes easily and reaches 63°C at the centre and the asparagus is tender.
~5 min
Salmon is done at 63°C; carryover heat continues cooking it, so pulling at temperature prevents dry, flaky flesh.
Pull the salmon out as soon as it reaches 63°C; it will keep cooking from residual heat, and a few extra minutes turns it dry.
Roasting Spread ingredients in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates and edges brown. Crowding steams food and prevents browning.
-
Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the tray and serve straight from the pan.
~2 min