Jerk salmon with yogurt potatoes
on Apr 10, 2016, Updated Apr 18, 2020
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I usually keep salmon dinners very simple. It’s not that this jerk salmon with yogurt potatoes isn’t simple too (it is!) but I have pushed the boat out a bit with it. I really hope you try it!
Mr. Scrummy and I do love a salmon dinner every once in a while, but we’re usually pretty unadventurous with it. We just throw it in a baking dish with a bit of salt of pepper, bake for 10 minutes, and that’s it.
It’s delicious eaten simply like that with roasted vegetables on the side.
But I recently came across something similar to this jerk salmon with yogurt potatoes in a book called Express by The Australian Women’s Weekly. Who, by the way, write some great recipes.
Warming, spicy and filling, but also healthy and light
The warm yogurt-y potatoes and spicy salmon make the meal warming and filling, but at the same time it feels nicely healthy and lightened-up.
Then there’s the flavours. Mmm, those flavours. I haven’t had too much experience of Jerk but I LOVE the combination of the chili, allspice, herbs, ginger and lime in this particular version. Those genius Jamaicans!
Not a fan of salmon?
And if you’re not a fan of salmon, I think this would work really well with chicken, too.
Ingredients in the jerk rub
Apart from salmon and potatoes, what do you need for this recipe? For the rub:
- fresh parsley and coriander/cilantro
- chili flakes
- allspice
- garlic
- salt and pepper
- ginger
- lime juice
- olive oil
Although this is a longer ingredients list than I usually entertain, I made an exception because the rub is so easy to make. Just throw it into a food processor and pulse to a chunky paste!
How to make jerk salmon
So there’s a bit of chopping and measuring of the herbs and spices, but once you’ve done that part and processed them into a wet rub, the recipe comes together really easily.
Half of the rub gets ‘rubbed’ into the salmon, and the other half gets stirred into the baby potatoes and yogurt.
All that’s left to do is to pan-fry the salmon for a few minutes complete with all that lovely marinade on it.
Pro tip: it’s best to use a flat-ish piece of salmon so that it cooks all the way through without the outside becoming overcooked while you’re waiting for the inside to catch up.
More tips for success
Another tip I picked up from my friend Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats (who’s always full of amazing tips!) is to place the salmon skin-side down in a hot pan, then reduce the heat to medium immediately.
That way the skin gets nice and crispy without the salmon overcooking. Then when you flip it over you let it cook on the other side for about another minute only.
If you remove it from the pan when it’s just cooked it’ll continue cooking slightly and be perfect by the time you’ve dished up.
How to serve it
I first served this with some pan-fried asparagus on the side because it was spring.
In fact this is a perfect springtime meal, but if you’re making it when asparagus is out of season, feel free to put any vegetable you like on the side: snow peas, broccoli, frozen peas, roasted cherry tomatoes… or perhaps a simple salad?
More easy fish dinners
- Liking the fishy vibe in this post? This lemon butter salmon with potatoes and asparagus is another popular recipe on the blog. If asparagus is out of season, just substitute with broccoli!
- Want even more fish recipes? You have to try this Greek baked fish!
- This easy tuna salad is a great quick and easy dinner for when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. We make this again and again and it never disappoints!
- Crispy fish pie! (Just trust me on this one – it’s easy and delicious!)
- You have to try these crispy salmon fish cakes! They’re like a blank canvas. Start with potatoes and fish (any fish) and add whichever fresh herbs and flavours you have. Delicious, and perfect for freezing!
Jerk salmon with yogurt potatoes
Ingredients
- 12 ounces baby potatoes, sliced into about 1cm slices
- 1 small bunch each of parsley and coriander
- 2/3 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- a thumb-width-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- juice of 1 lime, plus lime segments to serve
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 salmon filets, skin on (each of mine were about 120 grams / 4.25 ounces)
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 shallot, chopped finely (or 2 spring onions, sliced)
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes until just tender (I boiled them for about 10 minutes), then drain, tip back into the pan and cover to keep warm.
- Put most of the parsley and coriander, the chili flakes, allspice, garlic, pepper, salt, ginger, lime juice and olive oil in a food processor and process to a chunky wet rub.
- Pour half of the mixture over the raw salmon and leave to marinate for about 5 minutes.
- Gently fold the rest of the mixture through the potatoes together with the yogurt and the shallot / spring onions.
- Cook the salmon in a frying pan / skillet on a medium heat, skin-side first, for a few minutes on the first side and about a minute on the other*.
- Divide the potatoes between two plates, and serve the salmon on top. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs and serve with lime wedges.
I LOVE the flavors going into this dish! It seems like a simple enough recipe for me. Me too, I do the same ol’ salt and pepper thing over and over again. But I admit, I’d love to trying out a new dish once in a while. The yogurt potatoes sound like a lovely side and so healthy! Can’t wait to try it out!
Hi Maggie! Thanks so much for the compliments on this – I do hope you try something similar some time. In fact, I bet salmon with your lovely Chinese flavours on yogurt potatoes would work really really well too 😉
We’re the same way with salmon – olive oil, salt and pepper and maybe a squeeze of lemon. It’s so good on its own! But it’s also fun to try something new once in a while and this looks like the way to do it. Salmon is just coming into season here and I’m going to this asap. Love the potatoes too…so good.
btw, LOL! “I haven’t had too much experience of Jerk (add an s to that and it’s a different story)” – Amen to that. 😉
Ha ha… I just couldn’t resist that one, Marissa! Glad we’re on the same wavelength on that, not only the way we cook salmon 😉
I love salmon, and your main-stay sounds just fantastic to me – especially with focaccia bread and a drizzle of olive oil. And this jerk salmon with yogurt potatoes sounds out of this world! It’s been ages since I’ve had jerk seasoning, but looking at these photos… I’ve gotta make this!
Hope you do give it a go, Kathleen. I was wondering if it was a bit too ‘green’ (!!) but it tastes delicious. Have a great weekend!
Love salmon and the flavor combination here is amazing! These potatoes look wonderful, too! Gorgeous dish!
Thanks, Honey! 🙂
I’m doing a similar recipe-how funny is that Helen? But we must be on the same wavelength 😉 Yours looks fab and I agree, salmon cooked simply is also delicious.
Ahhh, we must be psychic, Lorraine… or ‘physic’ as the hubs says! 🙂
Tu me surprendre à chaque fois avec tes délicieux recettes ! Tout le monde aime le saumon chez moi et ta recette est parfait pour le printemps bordelais !
Merci Eva! J’espere que tu l’essaies bientot! 🙂
Love jerk chicken, but I’ve never tried jerk salmon! Definitely need to give this a try! Loving the sound of the yogurt potatoes, too! Delicious. 🙂
Hi Jess – thank you! Hope you do try it – it really is a lovely meal 🙂
We are jerk obsessed. We went to Jamaica last year and ate pretty much nothing but jerk!
I think I’m a bit obsessed now too!
Haha I snorted coffee out of my nose when I read “I haven’t had too much experience of Jerk (add an s to that and it’s a different story) ” Too too funny!
Those Jamaicans sure know their spices – but Helen so do you – I mean just look at this – gobble worthy indeed! And thanks for sharing Nagi’s tip too!
Ha – so happy to have made you snort your coffee today, Shashi, but I do hope you didn’t make too much of a mess!! 🙂
I’m with you on the usual slap the salmon in the oven with a squeeze of lemon if I’m feeling adventurous- steady on!! I love that this jerk yoghurt works for both the salmon AND potatoes – double duty will always win in my book. Saved for next time we have salmon. Thank you for sharing such a fab recipe. Sammie.
Oh yes, steady on indeed! I’m not sure about that squeeze of lemon…
I loved the double duty part of this, too! Really hope you do give it a try… and enjoy it of course! 🙂