Herby Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes

Hello and welcome to Sunday Supper. Herby Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes is a single sheet pan meal. We will do it in phases so that each component is perfectly cooked. A big part of the magic with this meal is how we are serving it. Kinda like a rice bowl but with crispy-edged smashed Yukon Golds instead of rice. A beautifully plated meal, well-balanced and absolutely delicious. Let’s get to it!

The Smashed Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Start a pot of water to boil with the baby Yukon Golds. I have 1.5 pounds of baby potatoes. I am going to treat them just as I would pasta – except that I am starting the potatoes in the cold water. So 3 quarts of water, with the potatoes set to boil over high heat. As soon as the water begins to boil, add 1.5 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt to the pot. Let the potatoes boil until they are fork tender. It’s totally going to depend on the size of potatoes, so just start testing them after about 8 minutes.

Grab a large sheet pan and use a paper towel to spread a thin layer of olive oil over the surface. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to the oiled sheet pan. Use a heavy bottomed glass, or a flat bottomed meat pounder to smash the potatoes. Then drizzle olive oil over the tops of the smashed potatoes and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

Place the potatoes on the center rack in the preheated oven. Set a timer for 20 minutes. It will take the potatoes a while to get crispy, so we will begin to phase in our other ingredients. At the end of 20 minutes pull out the potatoes and use a fish spatula to flip them over.

The Asparagus

Make a space (about 1/4 of the sheet tray) for the asparagus. Drizzle the asparagus with a little olive oil and slide the sheet pan back in the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

While the asparagus is in the oven, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add 1 teaspoon each fresh minced thyme and rosemary to the melted butter, stir and set aside.

After 10 minutes, pull out the sheet pan and transfer the asparagus to a plate and tent with foil.

The Salmon

Now, Place the salmon in the spot where the asparagus was. I have two filets that I have sliced in half crosswise to get four pieces of salmon. The thickest part of the filets is only 1/2-inch.

Drizzle the filets with olive oil and sprinkle with a small pinch of kosher salt. The two small pieces will take only 3-4 minutes. The larger pieces will take only 6-7 minutes. Slide the sheet tray back in the oven and set the timer accordingly. It’s important to not overcook the salmon. If you have filets that are 1-inch thick, figure 8 minutes cooking time.

After 3 minutes, I pulled the tray and transferred the two tiny pieces of salmon to the plate with asparagus and put the tray back in the oven for 3 more minutes. At which point the two bigger pieces were done. Transfer the remaining two salmon pieces to the plate with others and slide the sheet pan back in the oven to let the potatoes keep going for another minute while we finish the salmon and the asparagus. Carefully peel the skin off the salmon.

Pour the melted herb butter over the salmon and the asparagus. Squeeze lemon juice over the plate.

Now pull out the potatoes and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper, then cut the heat. We’re ready to plate and serve.

Herby Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes

In wide shallow bowls, arrange a serving of the crispy smashed potatoes. Lay a serving of asparagus on top of the potatoes. Then, gently break apart a piece of salmon and arrange the pieces on top of the asparagus and potatoes.

Serve with lemon wedges, if you like. And that’s it! Buttery and herby, the salmon is cooked perfectly. It’s tender and juicy. The asparagus is tender, yet retains a bit of snap. The potatoes have crispy surfaces and edges, yet their centers are creamy and soft. Such a beautiful variety of textures. Overall the dish feels light, bright and savory; each individual component brings its specific flavor forward for a wonderful combination.

I do hope you give this easy sheet pan dinner a try. Don’t be intimidated by cooking salmon! Because we staggered the cooking in phases, the chance of overcooking anything is slim and we can take our time to get each component right without feeling the pressure. If you’re looking for another roasted salmon dish, try my Simple Baked Salmon Rice Bowl. Take care and be well, xo Kelly

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Herby Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes

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Dinner, Main Course – American

By Kelly Djalali, inspired by Hannah's Hungry – Serves: 2

Prep Time: 20 Minutes – Cooking Time: ~35 Minutes – Total Time: ~1 Hour

Your new favorite sheet pan meal, Herby Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes is delicious and perfect for Sunday Supper.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb.s Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 3 qts. Water
• 1.5 tbsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
• Pinch of Kosher Salt (for the potatoes)
• 12 oz. Asparagus, thin spears work best
• 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1 tsp. Minced Fresh Rosemary
• 1 tsp. Minced Fresh Thyme
• ~1 lb. Wild Salmon Filets, 1/2-1-inch thick in the center
• Pinch of Kosher Salt (for the Salmon Filets)
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper (for the finished smashed potatoes)
• Juice of Half a Lemon, plus Lemon Wedges for serving

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2

Start a pot of 3 qts. water to boil with the baby Yukon Golds over high heat. As soon as the water begins to boil, add 1.5 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt to the pot. Let the potatoes boil until they are fork tender. It's totally going to depend on the size of potatoes, so just start testing them after about 8 minutes.

3

Grab a large sheet pan and use a paper towel to spread a thin layer of olive oil over the surface. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to the oiled sheet pan. Use a heavy bottomed glass, or a flat bottomed meat pounder to smash the potatoes. Then drizzle olive oil over the tops of the smashed potatoes and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

4

Place the potatoes on the center rack in the preheated oven. Set a timer for 20 minutes. It will take the potatoes a while to get crispy, so we will begin to phase in our other ingredients. At the end of 20 minutes pull out the potatoes and use a fish spatula to flip them over.

5

Make a space (about 1/4 of the sheet tray) for the asparagus. Drizzle the asparagus with a little olive oil and slide the sheet pan back in the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

6

While the asparagus is in the oven, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add 1 teaspoon each fresh minced thyme and rosemary to the melted butter, stir and set aside.

7

After 10 minutes, pull out the sheet pan and transfer the asparagus to a plate and tent with foil.

8

Now, Place the salmon in the spot where the asparagus was. I have two filets that I have sliced in half crosswise to get four pieces of salmon. The thickest part of the filets is only 1/2-inch.

9

Drizzle the filets with olive oil and sprinkle with a small pinch of kosher salt. The two small pieces will take only 3-4 minutes. The larger pieces will take only 6-7 minutes. Slide the sheet tray back in the oven and set the timer accordingly. It's important to not overcook the salmon. If you have filets that are 1-inch thick, figure 8 minutes cooking time.

10

Transfer the salmon pieces to the plate with the asparagus and slide the sheet pan back in the oven to let the potatoes keep going for another minute while we finish the salmon and the asparagus. Carefully peel the skin off the salmon.

11

Pour the melted herb butter over the salmon and the asparagus. Squeeze lemon juice over the plate.

12

Now pull out the potatoes and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper, then cut the heat. We're ready to plate and serve.

13

In wide shallow bowls, arrange a serving of the crispy smashed potatoes. Lay a serving of asparagus on top of the potatoes. Then, gently break apart a piece of salmon and arrange the pieces on top of the asparagus and potatoes.

14

Serve with lemon wedges, if you like.

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