Throughout the summer, I often make some version of olive relish to accompany our excellent local wild salmon. Because it is both salty and tangy, it balances and flatters the salmon's rich flavor. To maintain king salmon's natural succulence, I recommend "slow-roasting" (a popular menu description for what is more accurately called "baking") the individual salmon fillets in a 325° oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness. To do this, first season the fillets liberally with sea salt (I usually do this about a half hour before cooking), then place the fish (without crowding) in their cooking pan and drizzle each fillet with about a teaspoon of olive oil and a splash of white wine. It's also best to let the fish sit at room temperature for up to a half hour before cooking it.
Yield: about a half cup, enough for 4 servings
1/2 c green olives, such as picholine or Spanish Gordal olives (my current fave)
1/4 preserved lemon , skin only, or 1/2 t lemon zest, finely chopped
2 T almonds, blanched, toasted and coarsely chopped or marcona almonds
1 T parsley, chopped
1-3 t lemon juice, to taste
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Pit and coarsely chop the olives. Combine in a small bowl with the rest of the ingredients. You will need more lemon juice if you use the lemon zest instead of the preserved lemons. For convenience, use already toasted or fried marcona almonds, available at Trader Joe's or through the Spanish Table. Also, if you want to make your own preserved lemons, there's an easy recipe in Chez Panisse Fruit.
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