It’s no secret that salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which offer a range of health-related benefits. What scientists have recently discovered, though, is these benefits may be due in part to increases in butyrate-producing bacteria. Butyrate plays a key role in maintaining optimal gut health. Enter the baked salmon recipe below.
This beautifying recipe comes from Carla Oates, aka The Beauty Chef. Her latest book, The Beauty Chef Gut Guide: With 90+ Delicious Recipes and Weekly Meal Plans, is in heavy kitchen rotation with our team—it makes planning meals for repairing and reprogramming the gut a cinch.
What better reason to add this salmon recipe to your weekly repertoire? It’s paired here with fennel, lemon and mint to help aid digestion. A win-win…
Baked Yoghurt + Herb Salmon with Fennel + Lemon
Serves 4
Ingredients:
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 small fennel bulb, halved, trimmed, cored + thinly sliced
1 leek, green part only
2 large handfuls dill, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice + finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
sea salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5 ½ –7 oz skinless centre-cut salmon fillets, pin-boned
½ cup goat or sheep yogurt
1 large handful mint, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve
¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Drizzle some olive oil into the bottom of a 12 in x 8 in baking dish. Add the fennel, leek and half of the dill. Drizzle with a little more oil and half the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
Remove the dish from the oven and arrange the salmon pieces on top of the vegetables. Drizzle with some oil, pour over a little more lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Top each salmon fillet with a dollop of yoghurt, spreading it over the surface in an even layer. Scatter with mint, some dill and the lemon zest. Return the dish to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the salmon is almost completely cooked through (or until cooked to your liking).
Serve the fish scattered with more mint, the remaining dill, pine nuts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Tip: This dish pairs perfectly with roasted cherry tomatoes. Ensure you keep them under 2 ¾ oz per serving if you are wanting a low-FODMAP meal.
