Description
This festive Christmas Baked Salmon features a tender, juicy salmon side glazed with a sweet honey butter sauce, baked to perfection and finished under the broiler for caramelized edges. Topped with a creamy dill sauce, a vibrant holiday tapenade of plumped cranberries, toasted almonds, fresh parsley, and pomegranate seeds, this dish captures the perfect balance of rich, tangy, and sweet flavors ideal for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Salmon and Glaze
- 1.2 – 1.5 kg (2.4 – 3 lb) salmon side (skin on, bones removed)
- 2 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 150 g (5 oz) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Creamy Dill Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups full fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (lightly packed)
- 1/2 eschallot (French onion), finely grated
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Holiday Tapenade
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Garnish and Serving
- 1 pomegranate, seeds only
- 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 lemons, cut into 6 pieces each (for serving)
Instructions
- Make Creamy Dill Sauce: In a bowl, combine sour cream, fresh dill, grated eschallot, lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix thoroughly until smooth and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare Holiday Tapenade – Plump Cranberries: Heat orange juice in a saucepan over high heat until hot. Remove from heat, add dried cranberries, cover and let stand for 15 minutes to plump. Drain cranberries in a colander and discard liquid. Allow to cool.
- Mix Holiday Tapenade: In a bowl, combine cooled plumped cranberries, toasted slivered almonds, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Stir well and set aside at room temperature.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Salmon: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with a double layer of foil, then a sheet of baking/parchment paper on top. Place the salmon on the paper. Fold foil edges slightly upwards to create a shallow cup to catch glaze drippings.
- Make Glaze and Glaze Salmon: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, honey, and minced garlic. Once the mixture starts foaming, reduce heat to medium and simmer foaming for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour glaze evenly over the salmon.
- Season Salmon: Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper, concentrating most salt on the thicker portions for even seasoning.
- Wrap and Bake Salmon: Cover salmon with a smaller piece of parchment paper, then seal with foil, folding and sealing edges to create a parcel that encloses the salmon but doesn’t have to be airtight. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and Prepare for Broiling: Remove salmon from oven, unfold and remove foil and parchment covering the top, folding them down and tucking them to prevent catching fire under the broiler.
- Broil Salmon to Caramelize: Switch oven setting to grill/broil on high. Place salmon in middle rack of oven and broil for 7 to 10 minutes until edges are caramelized and top has some browning. Avoid placing too close to heat source. Check doneness by gently prying open or using a probe thermometer.
- Transfer and Cool Salmon: Using the foil overhang, carefully transfer salmon onto a serving platter. Remove the foil and parchment from under the salmon to allow juices to pool on the platter. Loosely cover with foil and let cool for at least 15 minutes, up to 1 hour for room temperature serving.
- Assemble and Serve: Spread a thick (~0.8cm / 1/3 inch) layer of creamy dill sauce over the salmon. Pile the holiday tapenade on top, scatter pomegranate seeds and remaining parsley generously. Drizzle with lemon juice.
- Present: Serve with extra lemon wedges for guests to add to taste. Use a cake cutter or sharp knife to slice the salmon into pieces. Enjoy warm or at room temperature, accompanied by the drizzled honey-butter sauce mixed with the creamy dill.
Notes
- Note 1: Make sure the salmon side has skin on but bones removed for easier serving.
- Note 2: Use cooking/kosher salt for seasoning, as it dissolves and seasons better than table salt.
- Note 3: Toast slivered almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Note 4: To check if the salmon is cooked, use a probe thermometer aiming for an internal temperature of about 52-55°C (125-130°F) for medium doneness or gently pry open to see opaque flaky flesh.
- Note 5: Folding foil sides upwards creates a barrier to keep the glaze from dripping away from the salmon during baking.
- Note 6: This dish is best served slightly warm or at room temperature rather than piping hot to enjoy all its layered flavors.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Christmas, Western
Keywords: christmas salmon baked holiday festive main course creamy dill sauce cranberry tapenade baked fish
