Roasted Salmon with Lemon Peas and Artichokes

I have recently become fairly obsessed with Nigel Slater's new cookbook Eat.  It's full of mostly fast dishes that are seriously creative.  It also encourages improvisation on the part of the reader -- for example, this recipe starts off telling you to cook the salmon without any further instruction.  So, it's great for an experienced cook (or one who doesn't mind resorting to Google), but would probably frustrate a newbie.

I've marked about half the recipes as ones I want to make, because the combinations are just really striking.  Like this one -- salmon and marinated artichokes.  I would definitely not have put them together, but they are absoultely fantastic, with the acid from the artichokes pairing perfectly with the rich fish.  I accidentally bought a too-small jar of marinated artichokes, so I threw in some bonus peas to bulk up the vegetable component -- you could go either way with adding more artichokes and skipping the peas if you like.  But, definitely do not skip the lemon because the acid is crucial here.  This is a bright dish -- perfect to wake you up on a chilly fall evening.

Roasted Salmon with Lemon Peas and Artichokes (adapted from Nigel Slater's Eat)

Serves 2

2 skin-on salmon fillets

Salt and pepper

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts

Olive oil

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

A few tablespoons fresh herbs -- I used fresh basil and fennel fronds

1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.  Spray with a little oil.

2. Place the salmon on the baking sheet, skin-side-down.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Bake the salmon for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. The cooking time will depend on how thick your fillets are.

4. In the last few minutes of cooking time, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the artichoke hearts, and cook for 5 minutes or so, until they are nicely browned.

5. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add a splash of olive oil, along with the peas and herbs.  Cook for just a minute or two, and then squeeze half of the lemon over the pan and remove from the heat.

6. When the salmon is done, top with the artichoke-pea mixture and squeeze over more lemon juice, to taste.