A vinaigrette bolstered with chopped olives, toasted walnuts, and fresh parsley is a bold finishing touch for roasted salmon basted with smoked paprika and lemon. The combination of basting and slow roasting yields incredibly tender salmon; the walnut-olive vinaigrette adds a briny, buttery crunch.

Source skinless salmon for a  prettier presentation. To coax the most flavor from the walnuts, toast in a 350°F oven for about 12 minutes.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 (2 1/2-pound) side of salmon
  • 2 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • ½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
  • ¼ cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
  • ¼ cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
  • ¼ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, chopped (about 1/3 cup) 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle position. Whisk together 1/2 cup oil and paprika in a small bowl. Set aside 1 tablespoon oil mixture; stir lemon zest and juice into remaining oil mixture in small bowl. Place salmon in a large baking dish; sprinkle both sides with 21/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Tuck tapered end of salmon under if needed to fit in dish. Pour lemon-paprika mixture over salmon. Bake in preheated oven until thickest part of salmon flakes easily with a fork, 30 to 35 minutes, spooning lemon-paprika mixture in baking dish over salmon every 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest 5 minutes.

  2. Whisk together parsley, walnuts, vinegar, olives, and remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small bowl. Season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using 2 large spatulas, carefully lift salmon from baking dish, and transfer to a large platter; discard remaining lemon-paprika mixture in baking dish. Spoon walnut-olive vinaigrette on salmon. Drizzle fish with reserved oil mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make ahead

Vinaigrette can be made 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.