Roasted Salmon with Pomegranate and braised fennel – a healthy and festive holiday dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes.
Here’s a simple Moroccan-inspired recipe for Roasted Salmon with Pomegranate and Braised Fennel that can be made in under 30 minutes. When I first created this recipe, I had no idea that we would actually be traveling to Morocco in the very near future.
I had been dreaming about it for ages, and somehow magically, the stars aligned, and well, here we are! I’m still in shock. And I’ll tell you what, the pomegranates here are out of this world! Clearly, in season, they are huge, plump and full of juice, beautifully displayed in the souks of Marrakech.
We’ve been eating our way through this city, and exploring the spice markets and I’m so excited to bring home some new inspiration. (To follow along with us on this adventure, see our Instagram stories.)
This week, I’m so excited to partner with Sonoma-Cutrer, a lovely winery located in Sonoma, California that specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to create a seasonal recipe that would pair well with both of their varietals. Not only is this one easy, it’s festive enough for the holidays and very tasty.
What I love about this Russian River Pinot Noir is the deep, dark fruity aroma followed by the whisper of a forest in fall- woody and cedary. Classic red fruit flavors of Bing cherry and wild strawberry greet the palate, followed by barrel spice and dark chocolate. Complex and so delicious!
Feel free to use pre-portioned salmon or a whole salmon filets. Thicker cuts of salmon help prevent overcooking. King salmon is harder to overcook than coho or sockeye, due to the higher fat content, so when cooking for a crowd, I usually opt for bigger filets of king salmon – very fool-proof!
If you can’t find Pomegranate Molasses, feel free to make your own…. see the recipe notes!
The Sonoma-Cutrer chardonnay is rich and layered with lovely creaminess, bright acidity and a long buttery finish. It tastes of apple, caramel and vanilla with just a whisper of oak, and smells of toasted nuts, honey, pear, with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. A beautiful balance.
The fennel is quickly braised on the stovetop, then finished in the oven.
Roasted Pomegranate Salmon with braised fennel – a healthy and festive holiday dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes.
Roasted Pomegranate Salmon
Roasted Pomegranate Salmon with braised fennel – a healthy and festive dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main, fish,
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients
- 1–2 lb salmon filet
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large shallots- sliced into thin rings
- 2 fennel bulbs- very thinly sliced
- ½ cup white wine or sherry ( if you have Pernod, a little splash, along with the wine is delicious)
- salt and pepper to taste
Marinade
- 3 tablespoons miso
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup ( or brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic garlic cloves
- 1 orange, zest and ¼ cup juice
- 2 tablespoon Pomegranate molasses ( see notes for homemade version)
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Garnish : ¼- ½ cup pomegranate seeds, Italian parsley or sprigs of rosemary or thyme
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F
Make the salmon marinade by whisking marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over the salmon, coating it well. Let marinate 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Braise the fennel. Heat oil over medium high in an extra large skillet. Saute the fennel bulb and shallots for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until golden and slightly tender, you may need to turn heat down. Splash with wine and season generously with salt and pepper. Simmer gently until wine has evaporated. Let it finish cooking in the oven with the salmon.
Place the salmon in the oven to roast- either over the braised fennel, or separately. Depending on the size, thickness and the way the salmon is cut, cooking time will vary. For individual portions, check after 10 minutes. Whole filets will most likely take 15 minutes, and extra large thick filets, even longer. Better to err on the side of under than over, so set a timer.
When the salmon is done, scatter with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs for color.
Notes
To make one ½ cup of Pomegranate Molasses, place the pomegranate juice into a heavy bottomed, small pot on the stove, bring to a simmer, then simmer gently over medium low heat, uncovered, until it has reduced all the way down to 1/2 cup – About 20-30 minutes. Take your time, as a hard boil will make it bitter. Stir in honey. It will thicken as it cools.
- 2 cups 100% pomegranate juice (unsweetened)
- 2 tablespoons honey
Pour into a little glass jar, and let cool completely before storing in the fridge. It will keep up to 6 months in the fridge. Feel free to make a smaller batch, but you may need to lower cooking temp.
Keywords: baked salmon with pomegranate, pomegranate salmon, roasted salmon recipes, roasted salmon, moroccan salmon,
It doesn’t say what to do with the glaze
The glaze is the Marinade- I see the confusing and fixed the wording. Sorry about that!
Very delicious recipe! Our store was out of fennel so I substituted chopped spinach and used 1/4 cup Marsala wine which was all I had on hand.
★★★★★
Perfect- thanks Jeanne!
I need help! When you say 3tbsp of Miso , is that Miso paste? I bought Miso paste but it is very salty, I’m worried about ruining our Christmas dinner.
Yes, Miso paste. It’s not as salty as you think, but if you are worried, add 2 tablespoons. You may need to add more salt in the end.
What are the marinate ingredients?
★★★★★
This was anothet incredible recipe. I had never cooked with fennel before and was amazed at how much it contributed to the overall flavour. I really hope that you will put out a cookbook some time to showcase your recipes and beautiful photography. Your recipes have quickly become my favourites.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Jennifer! Appreciate your kind words and encouragement. xoxo
is there anything I can use to replace the pomegranate molasses, since I don’t have any pomegranate juice – I just saw this now and would love to make it for dinner would a balsamic reduction they completely wrong?
Im not sure how it would taste. Sorry. If you do try it with balsamic will you let me know what you think?
Loved this recipe. I used salmon steaks because my fish market was sold out of sustainable fresh salmon filets. They were thick but didn’t need more cooking than what was recommended. As a note, the best, most flavourful pomegranate molasses is unsweetened. It is very difficult to find and is more expensive (but it has more flavour so you get more for your money). Ottolenghi sells one brand from his website and there are specialty stores which carry other brands. I highly recommend you look for it.
★★★★★
Thanks for the tip Shanne, I will look for it. I wonder if it could be made without sweetener. Just reduced!?
Love, love, love this recipe. Another great Sylvia recipe. The combination of the marinade (glaze), shallots and pomegranate seeds with the salmon is just delicious. We didn’t have the fennel bulbs on hand so used 6 shallots and threw in some fennel seeds. My husband and I find Sylvia’s unique combinations of herbs, spices and seasonings bring a much needed fresh take on dishes we make on a regular basis. Thank you Sylivia!
★★★★★
Love, love, love this recipe. Another great Sylvia recipe. The combination of the marinade (glaze) and pomegranate seeds with the salmon is just delicious. We didn’t have the fennel bulbs on hand so used 6 shallots and threw in some fennel seeds. My husband and I find Sylvia’s unique combinations of herbs, spices and seasonings bring a much needed fresh take on dishes we make on a regular basis. Thank you Sylivia!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Monique and appreciate adding how you adapted, perfect!!!
I made this tonight. Didn’t change anything. The best salmon I have ever had
Look Amazing. I think it’s a good times for me to make this for christmas this year.
Thanks so much.
Wow, looks so great! I’m sure it tastes great as well!
★★★★★
I made this last night and it was amazing. The whole family loved it and requested it in the weekly rotation:) So elegant and easy! Would be great for entertaining too.
★★★★★
Do you make your own Pomegranate molasses? If not what brand do you use? I couldn’t find any (abt 2 years ago) so I found a recipe & made it myself but it wasn’t as pomegranate flavored as I thought it would be. Later I found some at the store but didn’t care for that one even more.
This recipe looks so good I think it would be perfect for New Years, salmon & fennel, yum!
I am jealous, Morocco!
Thanks Carol! I have made it as well … but was given some as a gift that seemed to have more flavor, so I used it here this time.
Hi Sylvia! Your Roasted Pomegranate Salmon looks so tasty and fabulous! I love your photography so much!! I am pinning this to my Seafood Recipes board right now! 🙂