This summery dish is easy to make but has the added advantage of looking pretty as a picture. Fennel's a bit of a love hate veg thanks to its rather strong, aniseed taste, but combined with the tart apple and citrussy dill this all comes together here well. And a fun fennel fact for all the history buffs out there. Fennel is actually referenced by the famous Roman writer Pliny, all the way back in the 1st century AD. He believed that snakes loved the stuff because it was able to improve their eyesight after shedding their skins. While I can in no way promise this as a potential benefit, this dish does have a lot going for it taste and nutrition wise.
What's the A to V?
Fennel is a good source of vitamin C, aided and abetted here by the pomegranate seeds which are also high in vitamins C plus A. As for the salmon, where to start really. Oily fish is a grand source of the fat soluble vitamins E and D, as well as selenium.
Ingredients (serves 4):
4 fillets of salmon
1 braeburn apple
2 small fennel bulbs
100g pomegranate seeds
4-5 sprigs of dill
For the marinade
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tbsps natural yogurt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
Sea salt and pepper to season
Method
In a bowl, mix the yogurt, spices, seasoning and salmon together and cover with cling film. Allow at least 2 hours to marinate your salmon - overnight is best if you're really nailing the forward planning.
When you're ready, cook at 180 degrees for around 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, very finely slice your apple and fennel and arrange on a plate, or separately in a bowl (if you'd rather serve the salmon on a different plate). Sprinkle over the dill, pomegranate seeds, and drizzle with olive oil before serving.