A citrusy, gently tingling oven supper
Maple syrup balances the citrusy tingle of green Sichuan pepper, with lemon and dill lifting the rich salmon. Serve these two oven-baked portions with vegetables for a simple supper with a different flavour.
Allow for infusing and straining the pepper oil, preparing the fish and baking; no soaking is needed. Baking time depends on fillet thickness, so check the centre.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6. Lightly crush the peppercorn husks with a mortar. Put them in a small pan with 15 ml oil and warm gently for about 3–4 minutes until fragrant, without smoking or scorching. Remove from the heat for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve, discarding husks and any hard seeds.
Mix the strained oil with maple syrup, lemon juice, dill and salt. Keep the salmon chilled until needed; do not rinse raw fish. Pat dry and place skin-side down on a small lined tray. Brush the glaze thinly over the fish. Do not use a brush that has touched raw fish on cooked portions.
Bake on the middle shelf for about 12–18 minutes, allowing longer for thicker fillets. Insert a clean probe from the side into the thickest centre and check 75°C for 30 seconds. The flesh should be opaque and separate easily into flakes. Continue in 2–3 minute intervals if needed. Cover loosely if the glaze browns too quickly; browning alone does not show the centre is cooked.
Move to warmed plates and finish with a little dill and lemon wedges. Serve with separately cooked vegetables or rice. Do not spoon raw or insufficiently heated tray marinade over the cooked fish.
Contains fish. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Follow the fish pack’s chilled storage and use-by instructions. Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate at 5°C or below within 2 hours; eat within 48 hours or freeze. Reheat once until steaming hot throughout. If serving rice, cool it promptly and use within 24 hours.
