I’m finally back in my own kitchen after 2 weeks in Sri Lanka. Instead of my normal flurry of kitchen activity after a trip, which usually ensues after I’ve missed cooking for a while, I’ve been completely laid out with jet lag. It’s especially bad since I’ve had 3 new cooking magazines to look through, and have about 200 recipes tagged to try.
The only thing I’ve had energy to cook is this roast salmon from Bon Appetit. And if there’s anything getting up from a semi-comatose state on the couch for, it would be this salmon. Tangy yet sweet, slightly crispy on the outside, it’s just perfect. The recipe calls for a 3 pound side of salmon, but I only cooked a pound (so I only made a half batch of sauce - enough for A to have extra so he could pretend he wasn’t eating salmon).
Grocery list: 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard, 3 T each finely chopped chives and tarragon, zest of 1 lemon, juice from half a lemon, 1 T brown sugar.
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce.
Place the salmon (skin-side down) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Spoon just enough sauce over the salmon to cover the top of the fish - about one third of the total sauce. Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the inside is opaque and flakes easily. Serve with the extra sauce.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:51 am
OMG! That color on the salmon is amazing. I am going to make this tonight! YUM YUM YUM
November 25th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
OH….And a little question…why does your salmon have that lovely color, and the bon app. picture does not? Did you do something different?
November 25th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Hi there! I hope you try it - this really was better than it looked (or sounded) in the magazine. As for the color, I didn’t do anything differently, but I did talk to the fish guy at whole foods about the salmon. They carry several different kinds, and based on (1) wanting the most environmentally friendly type and (2) wanting the least intense “fishy” flavor, he recommended the wild caught. It’s firmer, and more red (from the krill that the salmon eats in the wild; in farms, they have to add the color with dyes). Also, since the fish aren’t swimming around in close proximity ingesting waste products, the flavor is milder. I haven’t done enough research to back this up, but that’s what he told me - and I really trust these guys, they’ve never steered me wrong yet!
Please let me know how it turns out, I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks,
KT
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:39 am
I don’t have parchment paper on hand. Could I just use foil? Or should I go pick some up? I spent 17.99/lb on this salmon, so I don’t want to mess it up. LMK. Thanks!
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 am
I think you could use nonstick spray or foil and be just fine. The high temp will get the outside of the fish just a little crisp, and since you cook the skin side down anyway (I actually prefer for the skin to remain on the paper/foil when I plate the fish, do you know what I mean?), I think it’s not all that important what material is down.
So glad you’re going to try it! It was such a hit here I’m actually going to make it again tomorrow too
KT
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 am
Got it! I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks again.
December 5th, 2008 at 10:52 am
This turned out really good. I’m not a huge fan of mustard, so I have to take that in to consideration. I ended up tasting a hint of a “honey mustard” flavor. My BF said he could taste the lemon a lot. I wasn’t able to get the color that you did, but it was still perfectly cooked with the temp and time. Thanks again for the recipe!
November 18th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
We made this one with the asparagus & mushroom salad and parmesan dressing, and it was great! Salmon is one of my least favorite fishes but the flavor in this is wonderful.
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Hi Matt - yeah, this is a good recipe for making salmon taste like - well, not salmon
My boyfriend is a meat and potatoes guy and had refused to try salmon till I started making it with an aioli-type dip to go with it. This one was even better, since it covers the salmon completely. Since now I know you like asparagus and mustard - did you try the grilled asparagus with the mayo-mustard glaze recipe? I *love* that recipe, and it’s so easy too! If you’re ever looking for a new way to make asparagus, you might like it - http://ahungrybear.com/2009/06/mustard-and-mayo-glazed-asparagus/
December 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I’ll have to try that. I make a pork tenderloin from the Everyday Food cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Food-Great-Fast/dp/0307354164) and the mustard and sour cream sauce goes well with the asparagus I have on the side. It’s just sour cream and grainy mustard, mixed with the browny bits from the pork once you take the tenderloin out of the pan, and it’s great. This looks somewhat similar in flavors.
I highly recommend that Everyday Food book — I gave it to my mother and sister this year for Christmas too!