Name: One-tray salmon with beetroot, apple and horseradish cream
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 500g salad potatoes, such as Charlotte, halved; 4 medium raw beetroot (about 500g), peeled and cut into 2cm wedges; 2 tbsp rapeseed oil; 1 tbsp thyme leaves; 2 eating apples, such as Cox or Worcester Pearmain, cored and each cut into 8 wedges; 50g shelled Kentish cobnuts or blanched hazelnuts, finely chopped; 1 lemon, zested and juiced; Small bunch dill (about 20g), finely chopped; 1 tbsp rapeseed oil; 4 skinless salmon fillets (about 130g each); 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; 150g half-fat crème fraîche; 2 tbsp hot horseradish sauce; 50g watercress (optional)

One-tray salmon with beetroot, apple and horseradish cream

Our salmon traybake recipe tops fillets with crunchy Kentish cobnuts and bakes them alongside beetroot and new-season apples for an early autumn supper.

Gluten-free

Serves4

Hands-on25 min

Oven45 min

DifficultyEasy

One roasting tin does all the work here: the beetroot stains the potatoes a deep pink as they roast, sharp apple wedges soften in the juices and each piece of salmon comes out under a golden cobnut and lemon crumb.

Why it’s so good: Wholegrain mustard holds the nutty crumb in place and seasons the fish as it roasts, while a cool horseradish and dill cream cuts through the sweet, earthy vegetables.

Make it easy: Use blanched hazelnuts to save cracking cobnuts, and wear disposable gloves to keep beetroot juice off your hands.

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Tip the potatoes and beetroot into a large roasting tin (about 30 x 40cm), add the 2 tbsp oil, the thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread everything out in a single layer, cut sides down where possible, and roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway, until the potatoes are starting to turn golden.

Meanwhile, mix the chopped cobnuts with the lemon zest, half the dill, the 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt. Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper, season lightly, then spread the mustard over the top of each one. Press the cobnut mixture firmly onto the mustard so it sticks.

Take the tin out of the oven, turn the vegetables and push them aside to make four gaps. Scatter the apple wedges over the vegetables and sit a salmon fillet, crust side up, in each gap. Roast for 12-15 minutes until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily when pressed, the crust is golden and the beetroot is tender when pierced with a knife.

While the salmon cooks, stir the crème fraîche, horseradish sauce, remaining dill and 1 tbsp of the lemon juice together in a small bowl. Season, then add a little more lemon juice or horseradish to taste.

Squeeze a little more lemon juice over the tray and scatter over the watercress, if using. Serve the salmon with the vegetables and apples, with the horseradish cream alongside for spooning over.

Per serving (Serves 4)

Calories

680kcals

Fat

42g (8.3g saturated)

Protein

35g

Carbohydrates

40g (18g sugars)

Fibre

6.3g

Salt

1.2g

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

The Marine Conservation Society's Good Fish Guide advises looking for organic or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified farmed salmon, so check the pack or ask the fishmonger.

Fresh cobnuts can usually be bought from about the middle of August through to October, according to the Kentish Cobnuts Association; outside that window, use blanched hazelnuts or walnuts. Rainbow trout fillets can replace the salmon, but they are thinner, so give them 8-10 minutes.

The Food Standards Agency advises cooling leftovers and putting them in the fridge within one to two hours, then eating them within 48 hours. Leftover salmon and vegetables can be eaten cold, flaked over watercress with a spoonful of the horseradish cream.

Check the labels on the wholegrain mustard and horseradish sauce if the dish needs to be gluten-free.