My travels through Scandinavia have given me a real appreciation for the way Nordic cooks bring purity, comfort and elegance to their festive dishes—especially at Christmas. So when Cumbria Life Magazine invited me to share my take on some of these classics for their Christmas Eve feature, this salmon was an obvious choice. After the traditional, meat-heavy feasting of Christmas Day, a lighter fish dish on Boxing Day feels refreshing, restorative and wonderfully simple.
In Greece, fish is often served with ladolemono—a bright lemon and olive oil emulsion with plenty of dill—and that same spirit works beautifully here. Because salmon is already rich, only a whisper of extra virgin olive oil is needed, allowing the fresh herbs and citrus to lift rather than weigh it down. The dish itself couldn’t be easier: just salmon baked gently over a bed of lemon and herbs until tender and aromatic. Served warm or cold, it pairs perfectly with a Nordic-style potato salad and your favourite festive pickles, making it effortless yet impressive holiday cooking.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1.2 kg side of salmon, trimmed
- 2 lemons, thinly sliced
- A bunch of fresh herbs
- 30g butter, cut into cubes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp finely chopped dill
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°c (180C fan) and line a dish with grease proof paper.
Arrange the sliced lemon and fresh herbs to sit below the salmon and place the fish on top, skin side down.
Dot small butter cubes all over the salmon, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with half the dill. Bake uncovered for about 20 mins.
Serve the salmon hot or cold sprinkled with the remaining dill. It is delicious served with a potato salad and pickles.