This week’s post is somewhat of a continuation from last week’s waist-friendly green goddess pesto. If some of you cooked my pesto post last week, you might already be thinking of more ways you can use the pesto for other dishes.

This is a classy pesto crumble tangerine rendition you won’t mind serving your in laws or special someones. One of the best things about this layered crumble is – you can use bits and pieces of salmon or fish that don’t look so great when fried up on it’s own, without embellishments. The pesto will cover any salmon bit that doesn’t look pretty/edible.

I came up with the recipe idea because I wasn’t quite happy with the cheap cut of frozen salmon I’d bought, after I’d taken it out from it’s shrink wrap I was kinda underwhelmed. My immediate response was how do I bring out the ‘wow factor’ – people are always more inclined to eat something if it appeals to the eyes! (This applies to everyone – even my husband who sweetly tells me he eats anything I cook – and then gives it a thumbs down minutes later for presentation. I’m just saying you eat with your eyes too…)

It’s a very simple recipe and quick to prepare, just remember to defrost your pesto before you begin.

Fish out of shrink wrap, so much smaller than I had envisioned. Any smaller it looks like food for my babies.

I cut them smaller and salt and pepper them.

Drizzle the bottom of your cocotte (small baking dish) with olive oil, arrange your salmon as nicely as you can and top with tangerine zest.

Citrus zest – alot of us throw away the citrus peels/zest in favor of the fleshy, sweet citrusy segments. Zest imparts the essential oils from your fruit and can add new fresh flavours to any dish.

Here’s two more ways to use your citrus zest:

Citrus flavoured EVOO – If making flavoured olive oil, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of zest to a cup of extra virgin olive oil and allow the flavours to seep in for two weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain out the zest and you have fragrant citrus oil that can be used for dressings.

Infuse in tea – Add some peels to e.g. green tea for an extra vitamin boost in your favourite antioxidant tea.

These peeled tangerine wedges are sweet sour, cut each piece lengthwise and remove any white pith and seeds.

Place in your cut tangerine segments. Doesn’t that look almost edible now:)

Mix up your pesto with some rice flour.

Sprinkle your pesto crumble over the tangerines, add a pinch of salt and another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven at 190C for 15 to 20 mins and your dish is done!

This is a masterchef lookalike dish you can train your little/big someone to do for special occasions!  As for me, I’m looking forward to the day my daughters will cook this for me. Find me at #taystesg and happy eating!

Pesto Crumble Tangerine Salmon

4 petite servings {gluten, nut and dairy free}

Ingredients

To make waist-friendly green goddess pesto please click here for last week’s recipe.

Equipment – 4 Cocottes (small oven dish) and a cheese grater

500g salmon fillet/4 frozen shrink wrapped 1.5 inch salmon fillets

2 to 4 small tangerines zest and fleshy segments (depends on the size of fruit)

Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh ground black/mixed pepper

Salt

Pesto crumble – waist-friendly green goddess pesto {4 ounce} – mixed with approx 6 tablespoons of rice flour (panko may be substitued if you have no gluten intolerance)

 

Instructions

Cut your salmon fillets into 4 pieces, divide into portions and then cut into smaller cubes.

Pepper and salt your salmon.

Zest your tangerines and prepare your tangerine segments. Each segment needs to be cut lengthwise into two, take out all the white pith and seeds.

Drizzle the bottom of your cocottes with olive oil and place in salmon cubes, layer over tangerine zest and then tangerine segments.

Make your pesto crumble with the rice flour or panko, just stir through roughly it’s okay if it clumps – it looks better after the dish has been cooked.

Top your tangerines with the pesto, add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil and bake in the oven at 190C for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, top should have a few browned bits.

Cover with cocotte lid and serve.

Best eaten with a side of brown rice/quinoa/hearty salad.

Tayste Tips

If using a large baking dish, with a beautiful piece of salmon, slice into salmon flesh lengthwise and create a pocket to add in tangerine zest and segments. Layer more zest, tangerine segments, on the top of the fillet, add the pesto, season lightly with salt and olive oil drizzle and bake at 190C for 20 minutes.