Mary Berry has shared a tantalising recipe that transforms a simple salmon fillet into a dish bursting with flavour and texture. Her lemon and samphire salmon recipe, which features an affordable ingredient costing just £1.40, promises to give the fish a “lovely crust.”
Mary explained: “Paprika adds to the flavour and colour. Samphire is a lovely, salty, green plant that grows naturally by the marshes and on the coast.”
To achieve the perfect crunch, Mary uses semolina—a coarsely milled durum wheat commonly used in pasta and puddings.
Available in most supermarkets and health food shops, semolina is rich in protein, fibre, and B vitamins. It acts like breadcrumbs but creates a crispier surface when fried due to its starch content, making it ideal for salmon.
For a deliciously crunchy finish, Mary advises using a hot oven. Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6 and prepare a buttered baking sheet, reports the Express.
Mary Berry’s crusted salmon recipe
Ingredients
- 25g (1oz) semolina
- One tsp paprika
- Four 125g (4½oz) salmon fillets, skinned
- A large knob of soft butter, plus extra for greasing
- Small bunch of parsley, stalks removed and reserved
- 175g (6oz) samphire
- Half a lemon, cut into four wedges, to serve
Lemon Sauce
- One large preserved lemon, quartered and pips removed
- Juice of half a lemon
- Three tbsp mayonnaise
- 200g (7oz) full fat crème fraîche
Method
Semolina alone won’t give the salmon a delicious crunch, but a hot oven will. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6 and butter a baking sheet for later.
Take a large plate and sprinkle the semolina and paprika on it. Then, season the mixture with salt and black pepper. Spread the flavoursome crumb on the top of each salmon fillet with the butter and press the fillets, buttered side down, onto the semolina to give an even crust.
Next, lay the parsley stalks on the prepared baking sheet and place the salmon fillets on top of them. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the salmon is just opaque and the top is “crisp and golden,” said Mary.
She warned: “If the liquid is beginning to seep out of the salmon, it is overcooked – it should be holding the juices.”
Place the parsley leaves in a food processor to make a start on the zesty lemon sauce, then add the preserved lemon.
Blitz together until everything is finely chopped. Then add the lemon juice, mayonnaise, and crème fraîche and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Before serving, blanch the samphire in salted water for two minutes, then drain. Gently heat the prepared sauce in a pan until just melted.
Finally, arrange the hot salmon fillets on a plate with the samphire, sauce and a lemon wedge alongside to serve.