Salmon Roasted with Mustard

Salmon and mustard might not be an obvious combination, but in fact it works very well and is a great way to use the middle cut of the fish.

If you don't have this as a whole piece, use cutlets and put them back together by running a kebab skewer through the centre of them.

You will need roughly 1 kilo of fish for 6 people

Ideally it's best to remove the bones, which you can do by opening the piece of salmon out as you would a book and pressing down on the backbone. This will loosen it. Then turn the fish over and the bone can be easily removed. You may need tweezers to remove any remaining pin bones though.

Place the fish skin side up in a baking dish into which it will just fit - the tighter the fit the better - and pour over it a mix of:

6 oz melted butter
3 tbs Dijon mustard (You can also use wholegrain)
Freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste

Remember to mix the ingredients together before pouring them over the salmon.

Roast this at 230C, 450F, for about 20 minutes, at which point the salmon should be ever so slightly undercooked. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.

Slice the fish evenly and serve it with the mustard sauce spooned over the top. Fresh green beans, cauliflower, French fries and even sweet potato mash all go well with this dish. I have also served it just warm on a bed of crisp green salad.

For wine, I would choose something clean and fresh tasting, such as a Verdelho or Sauvignon Blanc. Or, if you're lucky enough to have access to good French wines, try Muscadet or Gros Plant.

If you don't like to serve wine with your meals, dry apple cider makes a good alternative choice.

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