The first time we ran a recipe for slow-cooked salmon poached in olive oil, surrounded by fennel and citrus slices, and casually pulled apart, readers swooned. We swooned! It became an instant, oft-imitated classic. We’ve riffed on it ourselves, running flavor variations over the years, including this new one. The reason it has become such a staple: The low temp and abundance of olive oil make it nearly impossible to overcook. You’ll forget there’s any other way.
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Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
⅓
¼
1
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 275°. Whisk oil, harissa, and garlic in a medium bowl. Pour half of harissa oil into a 2.5-qt. baking dish and swirl to coat. Thinly slice a lemon half and remove any seeds; scatter slices in dish.
Step 2
Season salmon on all sides with salt and place in dish. Pour remaining harissa oil over salmon, spreading evenly over flesh with a pastry brush or spoon. Roast 15 minutes. Remove from oven and baste fish with harissa oil pooled in dish. Return to oven and continue to roast until flesh flakes apart easily with a spoon but is not quite cooked through, 10–20 minutes longer.
Step 3
Use spoon to break up salmon into irregular pieces. Arrange salmon and lemon slices on a platter. Drizzle with any harissa oil left in dish, squeeze remaining lemon half over, and scatter some herbs around.
How would you rate Slow-Roasted Salmon With Harissa?
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Reviews (33)
Back to TopI made this for New Year dinner and it was sublime. Fish was moist, flaky and just with right amount of heat. Cilantro worked well. I served with rice and arugula-fennel salad.
briggitaz
1/10/2019
I cook a lot of salmon and this is my favorite salmon recipe. So good - not much more I can say about it. This pairs really well with the black lentil and harissa veggie bowl recipe
daubie77
Boston, MA
5/26/2019
Great weeknight recipe (easy, quick, minimal mess). Trader Joe’s harissa paste was a good substitute for my usual NYShuk. Additionally, I made a little tahini greek yogurt sauce on the side (I’m weak when it comes to spicy food). If I make this for friends, I think I’ll serve with a basmati rice. Loved this and will make again soon.
eerochka
Chicago
12/20/2019
Awesome weeknight meal! So easy and flavorful. The only thing I’d say is that it’s a little one-note, but if you’re looking for a reliable salmon recipe, this is it. I recommend using cilantro to add a little coolness, and Trader Joe’s Harissa paste has worked well for me after having trouble finding good Harissa at other grocers.
Detroit, MI
9/29/2020
My wife and both loved this recipe for salmon and I made tabbouleh salad to go with it. The combination was fantastic and I will defiantly make it again
Randini
Asheville, NC
5/9/2021
I struggle to cook salmon so that it is neither overdone nor underdone. But not with this recipe. I halved the recipe and cooked it in one of those pyrex style glass storage containers. Partner who endures salmon, said this was the best salmon recipe I had made. I too used the Trader Joe's Harissa. Can imagine using same method with some other flavor combo. Perhaps a curry/chutney/ghee?
Agatha
Virginia
10/26/2021
Great recipe in terms of ingredients. No idea if this was my oven or what, but it was severely undercooked at the after the listed cook time. I wound up turning up the oven to 350 and cooking for another 15 minutes...it came out perfect.
Natalie
Washington DC
12/8/2022