Black Lime Salmon

RECIPE

Total Time

35 minutes

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Note: This deceptively simple salmon dish is as striking in flavor as in appearance, and will serve just as well for a dinner party centerpiece as a quick midweek dinner. The salmon is covered in a punchy black lime marinade, then baked in the oven and topped with fresh bursts of sour cream and grated tomato. Black limes (also known as Omani or Persian limes) are limes that have been boiled in salt water before being dried and blackened in the sun. They have an intensely sweet, citrusy flavor, with a hint of bitterness. Serve this salmon alongside a bowl of rice.

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

• 3 dried black limes (or 5 teaspoons black lime powder; see Tip)

• 2½ teaspoons light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder

• 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika

• Fine sea salt

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 whole (1½- to 2-pound) salmon fillet (skin on or off)

• 3 plum tomatoes

• 1 small garlic clove, minced

• ⅓ cup/80 grams sour cream, plus extra to serve

PREPARATION

Step 1

Heat the oven to 475 degrees.

Step 2

Place the limes, sugar, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon of the paprika and 1 teaspoon of salt in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with the oil.

Step 3

Place the salmon in a large roasting pan, skin-side down if using a skin-on fillet, and cover the salmon with all of the oil mixture. Roast until the salmon is just cooked through and flaky, about 12 minutes, then let rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Step 4

While the salmon roasts, grate the tomatoes on the coarse side of a box grater, discarding the spent skins. Transfer into a fine sieve set over a bowl and stir a few times, then discard the strained liquid. Transfer the tomato pulp into the bowl, and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon paprika, the garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Step 5

To serve, carefully transfer the salmon to a serving platter, then dollop the sour cream over the salmon followed by half of the tomato mixture. Spoon the roasting oil back over the salmon and serve with the extra sour cream and tomato on the side to taste.

TIP

Black limes can be a little hard to find, but they are worth searching for. Try a specialty Middle Eastern supermarket, if you have access to one, or order them online. A spice or coffee grinder is essential to turn them into a fine powder, but a powerful blender can also be used; just pass the coarse powder through a fine sieve after blending. If needed, crush them by pressing down on them with your palm before grinding. Rather than pulverizing whole black limes, you could substitute 5 teaspoons black lime powder.