RECIPE: Shortcut roast potatoes and salmon
Frozen shredded hash browns are one of those great shortcut ingredients I never acknowledged until I began writing this column. Little more than shredded potatoes and a bit of extra starch to prevent clumping, they can be a quick-cooking substitute for potatoes. I’ve used them in clam chowder, and they’re great in any similar soup or stew. Another excellent use? Speedy roast potatoes paired with a quick-cooking protein.
While much faster to cook than roasted potatoes, frozen hash browns do need a bit of a jump-start. To get them thawed and cooking quickly, I spread them in a thin layer on a sheet pan and use a second pan as a lid. I put the potatoes in a cold oven and let them warm while the oven heats to 500 degrees. Once it’s hot, the potatoes should be mostly thawed and only need about 10 minutes to turn hot and steamy. From there, I nestle salmon fillets among the potatoes and return the pan to the oven to finish cooking.
This recipe calls for skin-on salmon fillets coated with a mixture of lemon zest and herbes de Provence, but you could follow the same procedure with chicken thighs or boneless pork chops, and with any seasoning you’d like.
I finish the dish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a chopped fresh herb — tarragon works well with the herbes de Provence but parsley would be equally nice.
- 1 (30-ounce) bag frozen shredded hash browns
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- 4 (5- to 6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
- 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, foil or a silicone baking mat. Spread the frozen hash browns in a single layer on the pan and drizzle generously with oil. Season with salt. Cover the pan with a second overturned sheet pan or a layer of aluminum foil to act as a lid. Place in the oven on the center rack, then turn on the oven, setting the temperature at 500 degrees. Let the potatoes thaw as the oven heats up. Once the oven reaches 500 degrees, cook the potatoes until they are steamy, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, season the salmon with salt. Grate the lemon zest over the salmon. Slice the zested lemon into wedges.
- Once the hash browns are hot and steamy, uncover and create four equally spaced divots in the potatoes. Place the salmon fillets in the divots, skin-side down. Scatter about 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence over each fillet. Return to the oven, uncovered, and cook until the salmon is firm and beginning to flake, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle the tarragon over the salmon and potatoes and squeeze the lemon wedges over the fish. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 445 calories (percent of calories from fat, 29), 39 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 15 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 126 milligrams cholesterol, 133 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
