This is an incredibly easy and tasty way of making salmon! I adapted and updated this recipe from my all time favourite British cook Delia Smith in order to make it completely LCHF friendly and I was very impressed with the outcome.
In Delia’s original recipe she uses individual salmon fillets, however I bought an entire side and decided to keep it whole. She also uses breadcrumbs (click here if you would like to see the original recipe), however I used finely chopped walnuts instead, and you know what? I think I prefer this version. The nuts gave the dish a lovely nutty taste as well as a crunchy texture.
I also made my own pesto for the first time the other day, which I think took this dish from being good to outstanding :) The difference in texture and taste of home made pesto is amazing, and I highly encourage you to give it a go if you have not already done so!
You will also notice that I have not put any measurements down, that is because it is a type of dish that you really assemble rather than make, and I think you can decide how much pesto, nuts and cheese that you think is appropriate for you.
What you need:
- Salmon fillet
- Juice ½ lemon
- Fresh pesto sauce (I made my own, and it was fantastic!)
- FInely chopped nuts
- Grated parmesan cheese.
What you do:
Pre heat oven to 230°C (450°F)
Place the fish on the prepared baking tray and give it a good squeeze of lemon juice and a seasoning of salt and pepper.
Spread the pesto generously over the salmon. Place a generous amount of the nuts on top of the pesto, so that it is completely covered, and then sprinkle the cheese over.


Now place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes*, by which time the top should be golden brown and crispy and the salmon just cooked and moist. If you would like a bit of extra colour and crunch, I turned on my broiler for a few minutes giving the salmon a lovely crust!
* If you use individual salmon fillets it should take about 10 minutes to cook.

It is incredibly simple and quick – perfect for a mid-week meal! We had this with a side of cucumber salad that C made.
I love Delia too! Looks really good! :)
That topping looks good on the fish.
Yeah – I remember the first time I heard about putting pesto on salmon, it wasn’t a flavour combination that I was used to, but it really works :)