Baked salmon with a coconut-cream lemon and dill sauce

Some nights call for a real plate of food, something that feels finished and a little special. This salmon is ready in about 30 minutes, and it holds its own next to anything you would order out.

Salmon is a source of omega 3 fats, involved in the body's inflammatory balance, and a source of selenium, involved in healthy thyroid function, both worth having on the plate regularly on this path. The sauce is built from coconut cream instead of dairy, so the whole dish stays true to what you are eating now.

Salmon deserves a little reverence. A whole fish gave itself for this meal. Salt it, let the oven do gentle work so the flesh stays tender, then spoon the sauce over and finish with a squeeze of lemon before you sit down to eat.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus extra
• 1 pound fresh salmon fillet
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus extra
• 1 cup coconut cream (the solid layer scooped from a can of full-fat coconut milk chilled at least 24 hours, in place of any dairy cream)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, plus extra to garnish
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour (instead of a wheat-flour or dairy thickener, which are not Core)
• 1 lemon, sliced

Method

• Heat the oven to 350 F. Rub the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake skin-down for 15 to 18 minutes, until the flesh just flakes; the exact time depends on thickness.
• While it bakes, warm the coconut cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the dill, a pinch of salt, and the lemon juice.
• Dissolve the arrowroot in 1/4 cup of the warm cream mixture, then whisk it back into the pan. Bring to a low boil for about 20 seconds, until the sauce thickens.
• Pour the sauce over the salmon. Garnish with extra dill and the lemon slices.

For a lighter, oil-based dill sauce instead of this coconut-cream version, see Fresh dill vinaigrette.

Air fryer variation

You can air fry the oiled, salted fillet at around 350 F for roughly 8 to 11 minutes, checking early, until it just flakes (time untested and estimated; watch it closely the first time). Make the sauce on the stovetop as above.

*Adapted from a-squirrel-in-the-kitchen*