Sunday Roasts: Salmon Fillets on a Bed of Peas

First, thank you to all who left such nice comments on my previous posts: I'm feeling better!!

Now to this post: Salmon Fillets on a Bed of Peas. A few months ago I received a copy of Sunday Roasts cookbook for a preview. I love when such things happen: I come home to find a yellow envelope sitting by my door with a gorgeous cookbook inside!

This book is stunning. The pages are smooth and heavy, the photographs by Susie Cushner are beautiful without being fussy, and the recipes range from meat, poultry, and seafood to sides.

You'd think that while being home sick I'd choose something with beef or chicken. Instead, I was craving something lighter, more colorful, and with a bit more nutrition. That's why I chose Salmon Fillets on a Bed of Peas. I followed the recipe pretty closely. Instead of using four fillets, I used a large piece of salmon. It worked out well. Also, my store did not have watercress, so I left it out.

{Note: the book is not black & white. I just had to edit my photos this way because otherwise they had a horrid blue tint to them.}

Salmon Fillets on a Bed of Peas
slightly adapted from Sunday Roasts

Ingredients
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
kosher salt
olive oil
4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each and 3/4 inches thick
6 teaspoon lemon juice
black pepper
16 ounces frozen peas, defrosted

Directions
1. In a food processor, combine the first five ingredients.
2. Place a rack at a center position and preheat the oven to 450F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and oil well.
3. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down, on the baking sheet and sprinkle with with lemon juice. Allow the fillets to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Spread the butter mixture (making sure to set aside three tablespoons of it for the peas) over the salmon and bake for about twelve minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat the peas and toss them with reserved butter mixture. Season with salt.
6. Serve salmon on top of peas.

Don't you just love the colors in this dish? It screams Spring to me, and was such a great meal during the cold of Winter. You can serve this with boiled potatoes or rice. Or eat this as is with a piece of crusty bread.

I'm looking forward to making more recipes from Sunday Roasts!