Recipe

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Cucumber Yoghurt & Herb Oil

Name: Slow-Roasted Salmon with Cucumber Yoghurt & Herb Oil
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets, skin on (approx. 160g each), pin-boned; 2 tbsp olive oil; Sea salt and black pepper; For the cucumber yoghurt: 300g full-fat Greek yoghurt; For the cucumber yoghurt: ½ cucumber, coarsely grated; For the cucumber yoghurt: 1 small clove garlic, finely grated; For the cucumber yoghurt: juice of ½ lemon; For the cucumber yoghurt: sea salt; For the herb oil: large bunch flat-leaf parsley (approx. 60g leaves); For the herb oil: 120ml good extra virgin olive oil; For the herb oil: sea salt; To serve: lemon wedges, optional capers

Salmon roasted slowly at low heat — silky, barely set, deep pink through the centre — served cold with cucumber yoghurt and a bright green parsley oil. One of the easiest things you can put on a summer table.

Serves 4

Ready in 50 min

Keeps Salmon keeps 2 days fridge. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Level Moderate

4 salmon fillets, skin on (approx. 160g each), pin-boned
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
For the cucumber yoghurt: 300g full-fat Greek yoghurt
For the cucumber yoghurt: ½ cucumber, coarsely grated
For the cucumber yoghurt: 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
For the cucumber yoghurt: juice of ½ lemon
For the cucumber yoghurt: sea salt
For the herb oil: large bunch flat-leaf parsley (approx. 60g leaves)
For the herb oil: 120ml good extra virgin olive oil
For the herb oil: sea salt
To serve: lemon wedges, optional capers

Slow-roasting salmon at 120°C changes its texture entirely. At high heat, salmon loses moisture rapidly and the outer layers overcook before the centre is ready. At 120°C, the fish cooks evenly and gently — the fat renders slowly, the proteins set loosely, and the result is salmon that is just barely opaque and silky rather than dry and flaking. The exact time depends on the thickness of the fillet; start checking at 25 minutes by pressing the thickest point with a finger — it should yield with the faintest resistance and look just set at the surface. It will continue to firm slightly as it cools.

Method

Make the herb oil first. Blanch the parsley leaves in a small pan of boiling water for 30 seconds — no longer. Drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of cold water (or iced water) to stop the cooking and set the colour. Squeeze out as much water as possible in a clean cloth or kitchen paper until almost dry. Transfer to a blender with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth and very green. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve if you want a polished result; leave as is if you prefer texture. Set aside.

Make the cucumber yoghurt. Grate the half cucumber coarsely — skin included — and gather it in a clean cloth or your hands and squeeze firmly to remove as much water as possible. This step matters: without it, the yoghurt becomes watery within minutes and the sauce is diluted. Combine the squeezed cucumber with the yoghurt, finely grated garlic, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until needed.

Preheat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan). Line a baking tray with parchment. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down, with space between them. Brush the surface of each fillet with olive oil and season with flaky salt and black pepper.

Roast for 25–35 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The salmon is ready when the surface has changed from translucent pink to just opaque — pale and slightly glossy — and the thickest part yields gently when pressed with a finger but still shows deep pink colour inside. It will continue to firm as it rests. Do not wait for it to look cooked through; it should still look barely set.

Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. The fish can be served warm from the oven, at room temperature, or refrigerated and served cold the next day — all three temperatures work, and the cold version keeps particularly well for a summer lunch.

To serve: spoon the cold cucumber yoghurt generously onto each plate — enough to create a pool, not just a smear. Place the salmon on top of the yoghurt, skin-side down. Drizzle the green herb oil over and around the fish. Add a small pile of capers alongside if using, and a wedge of lemon. Serve immediately.

✦ Chef's note

The slow-roasting method works with any thick fish fillet — trout, sea bass, or sea bream all respond well. The blanching step for the herb oil is optional but worth doing: it takes 2 minutes and keeps the oil bright green for days in the fridge rather than turning grey within hours. The oil can be made 3–4 days ahead and is useful on almost everything — grilled vegetables, poached eggs, cold chicken, warm grains. If you don't want to blanch, blend raw parsley with oil and use within a few hours. A handful of basil or tarragon can replace some of the parsley for a different character. The cucumber yoghurt is best made at least 30 minutes ahead to allow the flavours to settle.