Mediterranean Style Steamed Salmon With Lemon And Fresh Herbs The Mediterranean Dish

I’m a big fan of salmon. It’s healthy. Quick. And frankly, it’s the perfect dinner when you want to look fancy but don’t want to work too hard for it. I’ve done salmon all sorts of ways: pan-seared or blackened; grilled and jazzed up with a little mango salsa; baked in foil packets with veggies…etc. A few days ago, I was learning about steamed fish in the Professional Chef. And on the very same day, I came across a Turkish-style steamed salmon recipe as I thumbed through the book Istanbul and Beyond. I took inspiration from these two sources to create this tasty steamed salmon with a Mediterranean twist!

Why this Steamed Salmon Recipe Works?

Steaming is a great cooking method that really preserves food’s natural flavor especially delicate foods like fish and seafood. As the little bit of cooking liquid turns to steam, it quickly and gently cooks the salmon, producing delicious, tender fish. For this Mediterranean-style steamed salmon recipe, we rely on a delicious broth with a combination of white wine, extra virgin olive oil and citrus in the form of lemon slices. More flavor comes from a trio of spices (cumin, coriander, and Aleppo pepper); a bed of onions; minced garlic; and fresh parsley. To create the perfect environment for steaming, we use parchment paper to wrap the salmon and the rest of the ingredients (see photo below.) I like to cook this salmon in a heavy pot of sorts, like a ceramic braiser, with a lid. The lid is so important again to help steam the fish quickly and properly. This steamed fish should cook in 15 minutes or so.

Step-By-Step for How to Make Steamed Salmon Recipe:

– First thing you do is prepare a large piece of parchment or wax paper and place it right in the middle of your pan or braiser. (There should be a lot of slack on either side of the pot because you need to be able to fold the parchment over the fish.) – Now that you have the parchment down, spread sliced onions at the bottom (I add a little of the green onions as well) to make a nice bed for the fish. Arrange the salmon on top and season well with kosher salt and pepper. Rub or coat salmon with the spices. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil directly over salmon.

– Now jazz things up! Add the minced garlic, fresh parsley and remaining green onions (by the way, we’re using both the whites and greens of the onions, of course. So much more flavor!)

-Arrange lemon slices on top. Add generous drizzle of oh-so-good extra virgin olive oil. Pour about 1/2 cup white wine (if you don’t want to use white wine, you can do broth or even water.)

– Fold the parchment over the salmon, and make sure to bring the sides together and seal them. You want to create the perfect pouch for this salmon to steam. Cover with the lid. Cook on medium-high for 5 minutes, then lower to medium heat and cook another 8 minutes or so, covered. Remove from heat and let rest another 5 minutes IMPORTANT TIP: Do NOT remove the cover while salmon is cooking.

What to Serve with this beautiful Steamed Salmon?

I like to serve this salmon right out of the cooking pot–so much easier and prettier than transferring it to another dish. A loaf of crusty bread is the perfect thing to sop up the tasty little bit of broth. This Mediterranean-style steamed salmon is perfect on top of a bed of Greek lemon rice, Lebanese rice, or your favorite grain. You can also add a side of this beautiful asparagus, or a hearty salad like Balela or fattoush!