Pancetta and Sage Wrapped Salmon

May 18, 2018

By Anna Varriano

This recipe is super easy and it is absolutely delicious. If you or someone you know is a bacon lover but isn’t crazy about salmon, this recipe just might be a game changer! I love this recipe because it’s simple and quick enough to make for dinner on any night, and it’s also a hit at dinner parties. Serve it up with your favourite veggie sides, and enjoy!

This month, I’m trying something a bit different. I’m including a video version of the recipe, as well as my usual photos and written instructions.

 

 

What You’ll Need (makes 4 servings):

  • about 500 – 550 grams of skinless salmon fillets (organic or wild caught if available)
  • 16 slices of thinly sliced pancetta (you want the pieces to hold together fairly well, but not be too thick – the video explains why!)
  • a bunch of fresh sage
  • a TBSP or so of olive oil

Step 1: Prep the Salmon

  • Cut the salmon into 4 equal pieces

 

 

Step 2: Get Wrapping

  • Place 4 pieces of pancetta on a large, flat surface (your kitchen counter for example), so that they are slightly overlapping to form a square(ish) layer
  • Place one of the four pieces of salmon on the edge of the pancetta layer, closest to you
  • Place two or three sage leaves (‘furry’ side up) on the salmon
  • Roll the salmon and sage leaves up in the pancetta, doing your best to keep the pancetta pieces intact, and rolling it tightly so it stays together
  • Repeat the above for each piece. You can cook the wrapped salmon as soon as you are done wrapping all the pieces OR you can wrap each piece in wax, plastic, or parchment paper, put them in a container, and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook, as pictured below.
  • There are a couple of advantages to doing this. One is that you can prepare the salmon ahead of time – as early as first thing in the morning to as late as 30 minutes before dinner. The other is that even just 30 minutes in the fridge helps the pancetta to better stick to the salmon.

Step 4: Get Cooking

  • Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan (I like ceramic) at around or just under medium heat
  • Place the pancetta wrapped salmon in the pan (of course, you’ve removed any wax, plastic, or parchment paper first!)
  • Cook the salmon for about 2 minutes per side (4 sides!). Cooking time could be shorter or longer depending on how you like your salmon cooked; however, you want it to be long enough so the pancetta crisps up and I find that 2 minutes per side is just about right.
  • In the last 30 to 60 seconds of cooking, add some fresh sage leaves to the pan (see below). This will add extra flavour, and also the sage will crisp up and make a great garnish

Step 5: Serve With Your Fave Veggie Sides

  • This time, I served the salmon with a garden salad, some roasted asparagus, and roasted cauliflower. I don’t have a roasted asparagus recipe on my website, but you’d basically prep the asparagus the same way, but reduce to cooking time to 7 to 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

Enjoy! 

[printfriendly]

Privacy Policy