roasted salmon with spicy cauliflower

Salmon

Roasted Salmon with Spicy Cauliflower

The cauliflower in this dish gets loads of flavor from garlic, anchovies, and red-pepper flakes -- and the richness of the salmon offsets those spices.

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves
2 to 4 anchovy fillets (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons anchovy oil (from can of anchovies) or olive oil
1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cored and cut into large florets
4 skinless salmon fillets, (6 to 8 ounces each)
4 thin lemon slices, halved
4 serving lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Gather garlic, anchovies (if using), and red-pepper flakes into a pile. Using a chefs knife, coarsely chop; season generously with salt. Using flat side of knife blade, mash mixture into a paste.
Place paste into a large bowl; add oils, and mix to combine. Add cauliflower, and toss to coat. Spread mixture in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until starting to soften, about 15 minutes.
Season salmon with salt and pepper. Remove baking sheet from oven; push cauliflower to sides, and place fillets in the center. Arrange two half-slices of lemon on each fillet. Return to oven; bake until fish is opaque throughout, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.