Ready for a tasty Easter meal? Ahead of this month’s holiday, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has taken to the kitchen to prepare a stuffed salmon delight that’s sure to delight guests.
“What I like about this recipe is that the method, which is incredibly easy to follow, elevates the salmon to a new level,” the Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy author, 46, exclusively tells Us Weekly. “It makes a real event of this incredible fish and, while it cooks, the flavors all mix and mingle together, amplifying utter deliciousness.”
For vegetarian guests at the Easter gathering, the Naked Chef alum offers a pro tip, swapping out the salmon entree for portobello mushrooms.
Oliver first showcased his cooking skills on television in 1999 before starring in multiple Food Network programs and writing tie-in cookbooks.
“I’ve really missed having a straight cooking show. I’ve been at home this year, just growing things in my garden and cooking them,” he told Food & Wine in March 2015 of his At Home with Jamie program. “I’ve been so happy. … It’s just growing stuff, which in itself is magic and brilliant and relaxing. And cooking stuff — really good recipes. It’s just good cooking.”
He added at the time: “The whole growing thing is quite new for me. I’ve only personally put stuff in the ground and pulled it out and cooked it for three years of my life. I’m a country boy, so I kind of did bits of it, but I’d never had my own veg garden, so that’s cool. The most inspirational, interesting stuff is the natural stuff. So when you can kind of take stuff on a bend and go with it and be excited about it, I mean, that’s really exciting. I think that’s the realness: The ability for the public to get you, listen to you, learn with you, or be inspired and escape with you.”
When the England native isn’t putting together delicious meals, he’s often found teaching his five children culinary lessons. (Oliver shares children Poppy, 20, Daisy, 18, Petal, 12, Buddy, 11, and River, 5, with wife Jools Oliver.)
“We’ve all been living through some really strange times recently, but for me, the thing that has got me through has been family and food,” Jamie, who also shares dog Conker with Jools, said in an April 2021 Instagram video about the U.K.’s lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic. “Cooking is a great way to take some time out, it’s therapeutic, it’s brilliant to do with kids or loved ones and it’s fantastic for discovering new things and making more adventurous choices.”
Scroll below to learn how to make his stuffed salmon dish:
Jamie Oliver’s Stuffed Salmon
Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 heaping tbsp baby capers in brine
- 10 anchovy fillets in oil
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 10 mixed-color olives
- 1 fresh red chili
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 lbs side of salmon, skin on, pin-bones
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Get Ahead: You can prep this on the day, if you prefer. Put the capers into a small bowl, then tear in the anchovies and strip in the rosemary leaves. Squash and pit the olives, tearing the flesh into the bowl, then finely slice and add the chili. Finely grate over the lemon zest, squeeze in the juice, add the olive oil and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- On the Day: [If not prepping ahead] Place the salmon skin-side down in the middle of your largest roasting pan and use the tip of a small sharp knife to make deep cuts into the flesh at 1¼-inch intervals. Now stuff each cut, using the knife to help you. I start by dividing up the olives and anchovies, then add the rosemary, chili and capers. Take your time and enjoy the process. Sprinkle any excess around the salmon.
- To Serve: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roast the salmon at the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
