This is baked salmon with a walnut and coriander crust, marinated in English mustard and sweet chilli sauce, then served over griddled courgette ribbons with peas, asparagus, broccoli, and crumbled feta. The whole thing comes together in 35 minutes. It looks like more effort than it is, which makes it a solid choice when you want a proper dinner without spending the evening in the kitchen.
The technique that matters
Two things decide whether this dish works. First, pat the salmon completely dry before applying the marinade — any surface moisture stops the mustard and chilli from adhering properly, and a wet fillet will steam rather than roast, which means a soft, pale crust instead of a crisp one. Second, press the walnut mixture firmly onto each fillet with your palm rather than just spooning it on top. A loose crust slides off the moment you try to serve it. Press it down, and it bakes into the fish as a solid layer. Everything else in this recipe is forgiving; these two steps are not.
If something goes sideways
- The crust is browning too fast before the salmon is cooked through: Tent a small piece of foil loosely over the fillets for the last few minutes. Do not seal it — you want to slow the browning, not trap steam.
- The courgette ribbons are releasing a lot of water on the griddle: Salt them lightly and leave them in a colander for 10 minutes before cooking, then pat dry. Wet ribbons won’t char — they’ll just stew.
- The walnut crust paste is too thick to spread: Add a few drops of olive oil and work it in with a spoon until it loosens to a rough paste. It should spread like chunky peanut butter, not crumble off the spoon.
- The feta is making the whole plate taste too salty: Rinse the feta block briefly under cold water before crumbling. It takes about 30 seconds and noticeably softens the saltiness without affecting the texture.
- The asparagus is still tough after griddling: Asparagus spears thicker than a pencil need a 60-second blanch in boiling water before they hit the griddle pan — skip the blanch and they won’t soften in time.
Make-ahead notes
The walnut crust paste and the marinade can both be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept in the fridge in separate small containers. If you want to go further, marinate the salmon in the fridge for up to 2 hours before you plan to bake it — the mustard and chilli flavour goes noticeably deeper with time, so this is worth doing the night before a dinner rather than the morning of. The vegetable base — the griddled courgette ribbons, broccoli, asparagus, and peas — can be cooked up to a day ahead and reheated in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes; skip the feta and rocket until you’re ready to plate, since both go unpleasant when warmed. For the salmon itself, bake it fresh — the crust does not survive reheating from cold as well as it survives being made to order, and since the bake time is short, there’s no real reason to cook it in advance. One honest shortcut: skip adding the rocket as a base layer and just scatter it on top at the end — it wilts under warm vegetables anyway and you save washing an extra bowl.
Baked Salmon With Walnut Crust (35 Minutes)
Ingredients
Marinated Salmon Ingredients
- 2 fillets salmon about 6 oz each, skin-on or skinless
- ½ large Portobello mushroom sliced
- 2 teaspoons English mustard
- 3 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce
- 2 cloves garlic crushed and finely chopped
- ½ large lemon juice (divided)
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried dill
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
Walnut Crust Ingredients
- ⅓ cup walnuts crushed
- 3 tablespoons fresh coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
Grilled Courgette and Vegetable Base Ingredients
- 1 ½ medium courgettes (zucchini) about 350g total, peeled into ribbons
- ½ cup peas frozen
- 1 small red onion sliced into thin strips
- 4 small cherry tomatoes grilled
- 4 medium asparagus tips
- 4 stems Tenderstem broccoli (broccolini) trimmed
- 1 cup rocket (arugula)
- 30 g feta cheese crumbled
- ½ large lemon juice (divided)
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- 1 clove garlic crushed and finely chopped
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for drizzling and griddling
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 190°C / 375°F (170°C / 340°F fan-forced), then make the marinade for the salmon so that the fillets can absorb as much of it as possible whilst you prep the rest of the meal! Rub each fillet with the dill and squeeze on some lemon juice on each, then set aside whilst you make your marinade.
- Mix the English mustard, the sweet chilli sauce, the garlic cloves and the salt and pepper in a small bowl or glass. We like to put each fillet in a zip-lock bag with the sliced Portobello mushroom so that we can pour the marinade in, seal the bag, and shake to ensure each fillet is well covered. Placing the fillets on a dish and drizzling the marinade over them works just as well. Once each fillet is well covered, set it aside whilst you prep your vegetables.
- Peel the courgettes into ribbons, or cut thin and wide strips with the side of a sharp knife (we did a bit of a mixture for different levels of thickness), and place into a medium-large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, take the frozen peas and put them in a bowl with a little bit of water to cover them so that they defrost (if using fresh, peel and add to the courgette mixture).
- Chop your onion into strips and crush your garlic and chop finely, then add both of these to the mixing bowl. Next, squeeze on the juice of the other half of the lemon, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and drizzle on a little olive oil, then toss with your hands to make sure each ribbon or strip is evenly coated.
- Now you are ready to make your walnut crust, which you do by crushing the walnuts with a pestle and mortar and adding a small pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle in your chopped coriander, your crushed and finely chopped clove of garlic and add a little water at a time until it is at a consistency that you’re happy with. The water helps the walnut and coriander form a paste, which is more likely to stick onto the salmon, but there is no need to make it too watery or mushy!
- Spread the paste onto each salmon fillet, and then lay each one onto individual pieces of foil, tipping the mushrooms on top as well. Place two cherry tomatoes onto each piece of foil, then wrap each parcel up to cover all ingredients.
- Place each parcel into the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 63°C / 145°F. For salmon that is slightly pink in the centre, check at 10 minutes. The foil wrapping steams the fish, so it cooks gently — thicker fillets may need the full 15 minutes.
- Turn on your griddle pan over high heat. Once it is smoking hot, spray or brush lightly with oil and spread the courgette ribbons, onion, asparagus, and broccoli evenly across the surface. Griddle for 1–2 minutes per side, turning every 30 seconds or so, until charred and slightly crisp.
- Once the vegetables are cooked and slightly crisp, put them back into the mixing bowl, tip in your peas, crumble in some feta, shake the bowl, and mix thoroughly.
- Divide the warm vegetable mixture between two plates, then place a salmon fillet on top of each. Arrange the roasted mushrooms and cherry tomatoes alongside. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I use skinless salmon fillets instead of skin-on?
Yes, either works fine here. Skin-on fillets hold together slightly better on the foil during baking, but skinless fillets take the marinade a little more evenly on the underside — the end result is similar either way.
I don’t have a griddle pan. Can I use a regular skillet?
A regular non-stick or stainless skillet works. You won’t get char marks, but the courgette ribbons will still cook through and pick up some colour if you keep the heat high and don’t crowd the pan.
How do I know when the salmon is done without cutting into it?
Press the thickest part gently with a finger — it should feel firm but give slightly, not be hard or completely soft. If you have an instant-read thermometer, 125°F to 130°F (52°C to 54°C) at the centre gives you salmon that’s just cooked through and still moist.
Can I use a different nut if someone in the house has a walnut allergy?
Pecans are the closest swap — similar fat content and texture, so the crust behaves the same way. Hazelnuts also work well and add a slightly earthier flavour, though they’re a bit harder to crush to the same rough texture.
The recipe uses half a lemon twice — do I need two lemons or just one?
One large lemon is enough. The juice is split between the marinade and the vegetables, so squeeze the whole lemon at the start and divide it as you go.
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