For a picnic lunch or easy weekday meal prep, try this chilled slow roasted salmon drizzled with Peruvian aji verde. Slow roasting the salmon results in melt-in-your-mouth fish, which tastes even better when chilled. Serve on top of dressed greens or on a sandwich with your choice of crisp vegetables. For more picnic and barbecue friendly dishes, click here.
The science of slow roasting
By cooking the salmon at a very low temperature for a longer period of time, the proteins denature very slowly, resulting in a more gentle treatment of the fish as it cooks. The result? Incredibly luscious, melt in your mouth fish that tastes wonderful chilled on top of salads or nestled between two pieces of buttered crusty bread.
Aji Verde: another green sauce to add to your repertoire
If you have ever had roast chicken from a Peruvian rotisserie spot, you’ve probably enjoyed this bright and spicy sauce. Made from cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and mayonnaise, it’s the perfect counterpart to rich roast chicken and, in this case, fatty salmon.
Storage and Travel Tips
You can make this salmon a full day ahead of when you want to eat it. For traveling, you’ll want a cooler to keep the salmon as chilled as possible. Only drizzle the aji verde on once you are ready to serve.
Cold Slow Roasted Salmon with Aji Verde
Course: MainCuisine: Peruvian, SeafoodDifficulty: Easy4-6
servings10
minutes1
hour2
hoursFor a picnic lunch or easy weekday meal prep, try this chilled slow roasted salmon drizzled with Peruvian aji verde. Made from cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and mayonnaise, Aji Verde is the perfect counterpart to rich and tender salmon. Slow roasting the salmon results in melt-in-your-mouth fish, which tastes even better when chilled. Serve on top of dressed greens or sandwiched between buttered slices of toasted bread.
Ingredients
- For the slow roasted salmon (adapted from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat)
Olive oil
Salt
1-1.5 pounds salmon, center cut, farmed preferred (see note)
- For the aji verde
½ cup mayo
½–1 jalapeño
1 large garlic clove
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 225
- Place the whole salmon filet on a baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. Use your hands to distribute the oil and salt evenly
- Bake until the thickest part of the salmon flakes easily when poked, about 40-50 minutes. Because of the gentle cooking process, the salmon will still appear translucent and a bit “jiggly” when fully cooked.
- While the salmon cooks, add all the aji verde ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth.
- Let the salmon cool, then place in a sealed container in the fridge to chill.
- Serve the chilled salmon with the aji sauce drizzled on top, or on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Wild salmon has less fat marbling than farmed, which can cause it to dry out easier when slow roasting. If you opt for farmed, check the temp regularly and remove when it hits 120-125.