Crispy Salmon with Roasted Carrot Purée, Spring Peas & Tarragon-Caper Vinaigrette
Elegant spring salmon with bright herbs, peas, and carrot silk.
Daily recipe · April 22, 2026
A little about this dish
This dish leans French in spirit without falling into the usual bistro clichés: silky roasted carrots become the base for a warm salad topped with crisp-skinned salmon, tender spring peas, peppery watercress, and a punchy tarragon-caper vinaigrette. It suits a cool, cloudy day beautifully—light yet comforting, vibrant yet elegant. The naturally sweet carrots and peas keep it seasonal, while herbs, lemon, and capers make everything taste bright and restaurant-worthy.
Ingredients (for 4)
- Salmon fillets — 4 fillets (about 6 oz each) — skin-on, pin bones removed, patted dry
- Carrots — 2 lb — peeled and cut into thick diagonal pieces
- Fresh or frozen peas — 2 cups — thawed if frozen
- Watercress — 3 cups — tough stems removed
- Shallot — 1 large — half thinly sliced and half roughly chopped
- Fresh tarragon — 3 tbsp plus small leaves for garnish — chopped
- Capers — 2 tbsp — drained
- Large lemon — 1 — zested and juiced
- Dijon mustard — 1 tsp
- Maple syrup — 1 tsp
- Vegetable stock or water — 1/2 cup — warm
- Garlic — 1 clove — smashed
- Black pepper — 1 tsp — freshly ground
- Olive oil — 6 tbsp — divided
- Kosher salt — 1 1/2 tsp plus more to taste
Preparation
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Step 1 — 🔥🥕🧄Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the carrots with the chopped shallot, smashed garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
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Step 2 — 🥕🍽️🔥Spread the carrots on a sheet pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until very tender and lightly caramelized.
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Step 3 — 🍋🌿🥣Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, sliced shallot, chopped tarragon, capers, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften the shallot.
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Step 4 — 🫛💧🥄Boil a small pot of salted water. Cook the peas for 1 to 2 minutes until bright green and just tender, then drain and rinse briefly under cool water. Toss them with half of the vinaigrette.
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Step 5 — 🥕⚡🥣Put the roasted carrots, roasted shallot, and garlic into a blender or food processor. Add the warm vegetable stock or water and blend until completely smooth. Taste and add more salt and black pepper if needed.
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Step 6 — 🐟🧂⚫Season the salmon fillets all over with the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt and black pepper.
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Step 7 — 🍳🐟✨Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon skin-side down and press gently for 20 seconds so the skin stays flat.
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Step 8 — ⏱️🐟🔥Cook the salmon mostly on the skin side for 5 to 7 minutes until the skin is crisp and the fish is cooked about three-quarters up the sides. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, leaving the center slightly translucent.
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Step 9 — 🥬🥄🍋Toss the watercress lightly with a spoonful of the vinaigrette.
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Step 10 — 🍽️🌿🍋Spoon warm carrot purée onto each plate and add a salmon fillet on top or beside it. Scatter the dressed peas and watercress around the plate, spoon over the remaining vinaigrette, and finish with extra tarragon leaves, a little lemon zest, and a final crack of black pepper.
A final fox tip
For an even more dramatic finish, reserve a few whole peas and capers to scatter at the very end for texture and shine. You can swap salmon for Arctic char or trout and keep the same French-inspired profile. If cooking with kids, they can help whisk the vinaigrette and arrange the peas and watercress for a beautiful plated look.