Rhubarb Roasted Salmon
Updated October 11, 2023
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, more to taste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar, more for serving
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger, more to taste
Salt
6 ounces rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 1-inch-thick (1⅓ cups)
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Red-pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
10 grams carbs; 132 milligrams cholesterol; 529 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 35 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 631 milligrams sodium; 41 grams protein; 7 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, if you like, for easier cleanup.
- Step 2
Set aside about 2 tablespoons of the scallion greens for serving. In a medium saucepan, combine remaining scallions, sugar, vinegar, ginger and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
- Step 3
Add the rhubarb. Cover pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and, using a spoon or fork, mash the mixture until it falls apart into a chunky purée. Taste and add more sugar, vinegar, ginger and salt if needed. It should taste balanced between sweet, tangy and salty.
- Step 4
Arrange salmon skin side down on the prepared baking sheet. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread half of the rhubarb mixture on top of the fillets (save remaining rhubarb for serving). Top fillets evenly with cubed butter. Roast for 8 to 13 minutes, or until the salmon is just cooked through.
- Step 5
Garnish the fillets with the reserved scallions, red-pepper flakes (if using) and, if you like, a drizzle of rice wine vinegar. Serve with the remaining rhubarb sauce.
Private Notes
Comments
thank you Melisss for coming up with recipes using rhubarb in something other than desserts. I know that many parts of the world (like Eastern Europe) this vegetable is often used for savory dishes. Last night I made skillet chicken with rhubarb and it was fantastic! Tonight I'll try this salmon. My garden rhubarb plants are amazing right now here in Oregon.
This was really good -going to use the leftover sauce on a bar of cream cheese with crackers.
Wonderful flavor combination (acid/heat/salt/sweet) that complements the salmon. Watch the rhubarb during cooking - there is a fine line between "just tender" and "completely pulped;" I think the sugary vinegar base keeps cooking the rhubarb even off heat.
Made this tonight to go with some fresh copper river. Worried that the sauce might overpower, but it ended up being great proof of “what grows together goes together.” The sauce brought out the sweetness of the fish and balanced the fat content so nicely. Made extra and froze it so we can have this again. Yum!
HOLY MOLY SO GOOD! I was nervous about going fruit forward with salmon but this was restaurant quality. I probably tripled the ginger because I had fresh, local baby ginger I wanted to use, and thin stalks of rhubarb, so a bit more gingery.
I usually cook just for myself and this recipe was easy to cut down to a single serving. Instead of using the big oven, I used my trusty toaster oven. I had some leftover cooked asparagus and threw it in the cooking tray about halfway through and it heated just fine. I really like the taste of the rhubarb mixture with the salmon. Fortunately, I have more raw rhubarb left and may make this recipe again this week. BTW, the sprinkle of more rice vinegar on the finished product was a must-do.