Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake

*WARNING: What you are about to see is not the most photogenic dish in the world. Stars did not align. Colors did not agree. I still have this mole I need looked at. But you must know the flavors in this meal are atmospheric. Transcendent. Orbital. You may now proceed.

Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake / Bev Cooks

Have you ever thought about a baked salmon with a parsley cream sauce on top of potatoes, onions and broccoli? Because this is like, shut-it-up-major-maj.

This is actually a two-parter, because we all know salmon bakes in a kiss, and it can take some serious teeth pulling to get potatoes to soften. So, the trick IS, to bake the whole dish, sans salmon (should we start a band called Sans Salmon?) for about 45 minutes. Since the potatoes are on the bottom of the dish, in a kiddie pool of butter (should we start a band called Kiddie Pool of Butter?), it takes a hair longer than roasting.

Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake / Bev Cooks  Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake / Bev Cooks

I’d bought a tub of créme fraiche (said like Randy in South Park) at Trader Joe’s the other day. Which, two things: I have no idea how to get that little accent thingy above the i in fraiche. I spent 45 hours last night trying to find it. And two, holy fraiche face is it ever delicious. It’s like sour cream, but high.

The sauce is beautifully basic: créme fraiche, a handful of parsley, and a hint of lime. Done.

Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake / Bev Cooks

So after the first jaunt in the oven, you’ll top the dish with the fillets, and brush that creamy bliss biz all over that ish. You could even buy those skinny salmon fillets, ya know, and throw a bunch on there, if you’re feeding more people. See how smart you are?

This’ll go back into the oven just until the salmon is flaky, the sauce starts slightly bubbling, and the potatoes are gorgeously tender. The broccoli might look a little dark, but listen. Once you taste it, you will crumble to your knees in disbelief at its tender, buttery glory.

You may feel like I’m mentioning butter a lot. And you know what, I am.

Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake / Bev Cooks

And because you like to live on the edge, you’ll finish her off with a humble sprinkling of fresh parmesan.

Make that not so humble.

It’s pretty generous.

Okay it’s like, a lot of cheese.

We’re doing something right in this world.

Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake / Bev Cooks

Mama.

Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake:

What it took for 2 (plus a little bit of leftovers, yeah.):

* 1 pound small fingerling potatoes, cut into a small dice
* 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion (a mandolin makes this a cinch)
* 1 head broccoli, rinsed and broken into small florets
* 3 Tbs. butter, cut into quarters
* 2 salmon fillets
* 4 Tbs. créme fraiche
* 1 cup loose parsley leaves
* juice from half a lime
* salt and pepper
* parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400.

Place the potatoes, onion slices and broccoli florets in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dollop with butter. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender.

In a food processor, combine the créme fraiche, parsley and lime juice. Pulse until smooth.

Remove the baked dish from the oven, top with salmon fillets, and brush with parsley cream. Slide back into the oven for another 15-20, or until the salmon is cooked and the potatoes are perfectly fork tender.

Garnish with parmesan cheese and serrrrrve it to ya face.

Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake / Bev Cooks

Sorry I brought up my mole.

 

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22 Responses to Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake

  1. Carly February 12, 2015 at 7:36 am #
    While we're on the subject of accents, your accent on crème should go the other way. Just saying ;) This sounds delicious though!
  2. Chelsea Hobbs February 12, 2015 at 7:46 am #
    This looks so delicious! I will try it on a Valentines Day dinner! Thanks for sharing :)
  3. Sara @ Cake Over Steak February 12, 2015 at 8:59 am #
    Yum! Don't you hate trying to photograph "ugly" food? It's the worst. But I think you did a lovely job. :-) I love one-pan dishes like this, and this one sounds awesome. So fraiche.
  4. Christina @ The Beautiful Balance February 12, 2015 at 9:34 am #
    I love simple recipes like this and seemingly no-fail too. That parsley cream sauce could be a dip it looks so good!
  5. NancyB February 12, 2015 at 11:17 am #
    Ha! Smiled when I read how long you spend trying to find the accent thingy...glad to know I wasn't the only one who did those things! ALT + 138 = è ALT + 140 = î
  6. Amy Alt February 12, 2015 at 12:10 pm #
    YUM, I love all things creamy all my favourite recipes have some sort of sour cream/creme fraiche/marscapone in them. I haven't eaten any fish in so long because I couldn't think of any quick and simple ideas to cook it that i hadn't done before but i'm going to put this on the shopping list for next week, got to love a dish you can just shove in the oven :)
  7. Amber February 12, 2015 at 2:37 pm #
    "créme fraiche (said like Randy in South Park)"...good to know I'm not the only one who thinks that every. single. time :)
  8. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl February 12, 2015 at 3:39 pm #
    I want this in my life. Stat.
  9. Abby February 13, 2015 at 3:58 am #
    This meal looks delicious! I'm going to make it as a Valentine's day lunch for my boyfriend.
  10. Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures February 13, 2015 at 8:01 am #
    Yum! I appreciate from personal experience that sometimes pictures don't do food justice :)
  11. Aggie February 14, 2015 at 5:43 am #
    I am all over this. Everything about it sounds perfect Bev, even your wine in a little mason jar in the pic. I've been baking/roasting big dishes of stuff and fish lately (because little man likes to hang on my leg when I'm on the stove)...trying this for sure!
  12. Jen February 14, 2015 at 10:51 pm #
    Made this tonight for our Valentine's double date and it was great! Even the pickiest eater on earth liked it, and it was easy and hands off enough that I didn't spend the whole night alone in the kitchen. Thanks for sharing!
  13. Abbey February 15, 2015 at 4:36 pm #
    This looks amazing and I want to make it this week! So...if you live in the middle of nowhere and your local grocer does not carry creme fraiche, what do you think could work as an alternative? Mascarpone? Oddly, we do have that!
  14. Jenny Flake February 16, 2015 at 1:36 pm #
    I love cooking meals in one dish! This looks delicious...great idea for fish night :D
  15. Shira G February 18, 2015 at 11:05 am #
    Sounds delish and I would love to make this but where does one buy creme fraiche?? Trader Joes??
    • Shira G February 18, 2015 at 11:08 am #
      Just kidding I saw that you wrote Trader Joe's...sorry!
  16. sylvie February 20, 2015 at 12:50 pm #
    Why do you say this dish is not photogenic? It's really nice and yummy!
  17. Kim November 16, 2015 at 6:51 pm #
    ZOMG!! I finally got around to making this ZOOOOOMMMMGG!! It was soooo good! I kept scraping my nails along the bottom of the pan and then licking it. Yes, that sounds terrible, I don't care, that super brown yummy goodness. Adding this to the rotation. Thanks Bev!
  18. Kilo January 16, 2023 at 9:33 pm #
    Excellent Recipe. Tasted fantastic and the smells were divine.
  19. Ed Frost November 28, 2023 at 11:56 am #
    Looks delicious! My back yard is the Little Red River in Arkansas. I'm going to substitute trout - in the family Salmonidae - for salmon. I usually clean and bake the trout but I've been looking for a new ways to prepare it. So this week I'll catch a few in my back yard and filet instead of cleaning and proceed accordingly. Stream to table in under two hours - perfect!

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  1. Fun Five Friday - February 13, 2015 […] Creamy Salmon, Broccoli and Potato Bake–> Actually sounds like the perfect weeknight comfort meal. […]

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