Pistachio-Crusted Salmon
Salmon baked under a coarse pistachio crust, with Dijon doing the work of holding it in place. Twenty-five minutes, one tray, and a serving that carries roughly 2.5 g of the long-chain omega-3 fats EPA and DHA plus 34 g of protein. The crust stays nubbly rather than powdery, which is the whole point.
Why it's a longevity recipe
- 34g of protein per serving. Preserving muscle is one of the strongest predictors of a long, independent life.
- 2.5g of omega-3 fatty acids per serving, the best-studied anti-inflammatory dietary fats.
- At 490 kcal per serving, it fits a moderate calorie budget, one of the most robust longevity levers in the research.
- Delivers 750mg potassium per serving: minerals associated with blood-pressure and neuromuscular function.
Ingredients
- 2salmon fillets(about 150 g each, skin on)
- 40 gshelled pistachios(unsalted)
- 10 mlDijon mustard
- 15 mlextra virgin olive oil
- 5 mllemon zest, plus wedges to serve
- 15 mlflat-leaf parsley(finely chopped)
- 1 mlfine sea salt
- Black pepper
Method
Heat the oven to 200 C (180 C fan) and line a small tray with baking paper.
Pulse the pistachios to a coarse crumb, or chop them by hand. They should stay nubbly, not powdery, or the crust turns to paste.
Mix the pistachios with the lemon zest, parsley, olive oil and a good grind of pepper.
Pat the salmon dry, season it with the salt and brush the top of each fillet with Dijon.
Press the pistachio mixture onto the mustard in an even layer.
Bake for , until the crust is toasted and the thickest part of the fillet flakes but is still just translucent in the middle.
Rest for , then serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Fillets thicker than about 3 cm need 2 to 3 minutes longer; pull the salmon while the centre still looks slightly underdone, it carries on cooking off the heat. Buy unsalted pistachios, salted ones plus the Dijon push the dish well past what it needs. Frozen fillets work if thawed and dried thoroughly, otherwise the crust slides off. Nutrition is an estimate per serving from standard food tables; the omega-3 figure is typical for farmed Atlantic salmon and varies with the fish.
