Salmon with Apple Fig Chutney and Jeweled Rice
Salmon with Apple Fig Chutney and Jeweled Rice dotted with pomegranate arils. Perfect for Rosh Hashanah or a dinner in fall!
But for Rosh Hashanah, I wanted to make an easy fish main. Did you know, it’s customary to eat fish heads for the New Year as a way to look ahead? It’s true! I’ll pass on the head, and go for a salmon filet instead. This salmon is topped with an easy apples + honey inspired chutney and paired with a jeweled rice using Veetee Thai Jasmine Rice I got from my local HEB! It’s delicious (just the right kind of sticky) and easy to make (microwave 2 minutes. The end). So you can spend more time with your guests. Or more time making rugelach. Your call!
A nice dry rub with chile, cumin, cinnamon, brown sugar. All the good stuff!!
Paired with a simple sweet and savory apple fig chutney that would also be delicious over chicken. Or with a spoon.
I added walnuts to the rice for crunch, and pomegranate arils (those are the seeds, y’all) for color but also as a new fruit for the New Year. People also say there are 613 seeds in a pomegranate, just like 613 commandments. Who am I to argue?
Hi friend.
What Is Jeweled Rice?
Jeweled rice is a Persian tradition, rice studded with brightly colored fruit and nuts so the finished platter looks scattered with gems. Here it is a quick version: warm rice stirred with pomegranate arils and walnuts, served under a spice rubbed salmon with a warm apple and fig chutney.
The whole plate comes together in about thirty minutes, which makes it a genuinely realistic holiday main for anyone who does not want to be braising something for four hours.
Why Fish, Apples and Figs for Rosh Hashanah?
Nearly everything on this plate is a Rosh Hashanah siman. Fish is traditional at the New Year table, often served whole, symbolizing abundance and the hope to be at the head rather than the tail. Figs are one of the seven species of the land of Israel and a classic new fruit for the shehecheyanu blessing.
Apples and honey turn up in the chutney, and pomegranate scatters through the rice. It is a plate that quietly does a lot of symbolic work while just tasting like a very good dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Salmon filet. A pound and a half to two pounds, skin on. The skin keeps the fish moist and helps it lift cleanly off the pan.
- For the rub: dark brown sugar, chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, kosher salt and black pepper. The sugar caramelizes into a light crust.
- Apple. One, peeled and diced. Granny Smith holds its shape and brings tartness.
- Dried figs. Four, trimmed and diced. Dried rather than fresh, so they hold together in the chutney.
- Honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne. The chutney seasoning, sweet and warm with a small kick.
- Walnuts. Chopped, for both the chutney and the rice.
- Jasmine rice and pomegranate arils. Ready cooked rice keeps this fast; the pomegranate makes it jeweled.
How to Make It
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Rub the salmon. Whisk the brown sugar, chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper together and rub it all over the filet, placed skin side down.
- Roast 12 minutes, or until cooked to the doneness you like.
- Make the chutney while it roasts. Saute the apple and figs with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes until they begin to soften, then add the honey, lemon juice, chile powder, cinnamon, cayenne and walnuts.
- Finish the rice. Heat it through and stir in the pomegranate arils and walnuts.
- Serve immediately, salmon over rice, chutney spooned on top, chives scattered over.
Tips for the Best Salmon
- Do not overcook it. Twelve minutes at 400 gives a just cooked center for a filet of this size. Salmon keeps cooking after it leaves the oven.
- Cook skin side down on foil. The skin protects the flesh and the filet lifts straight off.
- Pat the fish dry before rubbing. A wet surface will not take the rub or form a crust.
- Watch the sugar. Brown sugar can catch under a hot broiler, so roast rather than broil.
- Make the chutney last. It is best warm and takes only a few minutes.
Make Ahead and Leftovers
The chutney can be made up to three days ahead and gently rewarmed, and it is arguably better on day two once the flavors settle. The spice rub can be mixed a week in advance and kept in a jar.
Salmon is best straight from the oven, but leftovers are good cold, flaked over salad the next day. Store in the fridge for up to two days. I would not freeze the cooked fish.
Salmon and Jeweled Rice FAQ
Why is fish served on Rosh Hashanah?
Fish symbolizes abundance and fertility, and a fish head is traditionally served with the hope to be like the head and not the tail, meaning a leader rather than a follower in the coming year. A whole salmon filet is the modern, less confronting version of that custom.
How do I know when salmon is done?
It should flake when nudged with a fork but still look slightly translucent at the very center. About 12 minutes at 400 degrees F for a filet this size. If you use a thermometer, pull it at 125 to 130 degrees for medium.
Can I use fresh figs instead of dried?
You can, though the chutney will be looser and less sweet since dried figs are far more concentrated. Use about twice as many fresh figs and cook them a couple of minutes longer to drive off the extra moisture.
Should I cook salmon with the skin on or off?
Skin on, placed skin side down. It insulates the fish from the hot pan and keeps it moist. The flesh lifts off the skin easily once cooked if you would rather not serve it.
Can I make this ahead for a holiday meal?
Make the chutney and mix the rub ahead, then roast the salmon just before serving. Twelve minutes of oven time is easy to slot in while everything else rests.
What can I serve alongside?
The rice makes it a complete plate, but a green vegetable rounds it out. Glazed carrots or a simple green salad both work, and it needs nothing heavier.
Is this recipe pareve?
Yes. There is no dairy anywhere in it, and fish is pareve rather than fleishig, so it fits at any table. Note that some observe a custom of not serving fish and meat on the same plate.
More holiday mains: white wine, honey and fig chicken and the full Rosh Hashanah menu.
Salmon with Apple Fig Chutney and Jeweled Rice
Ingredients
- For salmon and rub:
- 1 1/2 to 2- pound salmon filet the the skin on
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 teaspoon dried cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- For apple fig chutney:
- 1 apple peeled and diced. I used granny smith.
- 4 dried figs trimmed and diced
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Pinch chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of cayenne
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
- For rice:
- 1 package Veetee Heat + Eat Thai Jasmine Rice
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- Chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together salmon rub ingredients. Place fish skin-side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Rub the dry rub all over the salmon.
- Roast for 12 minutes or until salmon is cooked to your desire level of doneness.
- While the salmon is roasting, make the chutney. Sauté apple and figs with salt in a medium saucepan until they just start to get tender, about 3 minutes. Then add honey, lemon juice, chile powder, cinnamon and cayenne, and continue cooking until very tender but not mushy, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in walnuts and set aside.
- Heat rice in the microwave and stir in pomegranate arils and walnuts. Serve salmon immediately with rice and chutney, topped with chives.
This post is sponsored by Veetee, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting brands that support WJWE!
4 Comments
This is a beautiful colorful dish. My mouth is watering.
Aw thanks! Hope all is well!
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