BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
It took over two decades of cooking for me to finally master salmon, thanks to the New York Times recipe “Salmon Roasted in Butter.” I’ve ruined salmon more times than I can count, mainly because I built it up in my head as a complicated dish. It’s easy to overcook, which leaves you with a dry flavorless mess, and undercooked salmon only works in sushi. I’m telling you, this simple recipe is fool proof. I even used frozen wild caught salmon that wasn’t completely thawed (always thaw in the fridge). But the real star of this recipe is butter, so if you’re watching your cholesterol you may want to skip ahead to the smoothie recipe on page 33. For those of you who are feeling indulgent, read on . . .
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
4 tablespoons minced dill
1 salmon fillet (1 1/2 – 2 lbs)
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder to taste
lemon wedges
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the butter and half the herb on a sheet pan and place it in the oven. Heat about 5 min, until the butter melts and the herbs begin to sizzle.
Step 2
Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, then peel the skin off. (If the skin does not lift right off, cook 2 min longer.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a bit of garlic powder.
Step 3
Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Cut into serving portions, spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with remaining herb. Serve with lemon wedges.
This recipe is great for our family, because 4 out of 5 of us don’t like the skin. Feel free to leave the skin on if you are a fan, it will crisp up nicely in this recipe. I served my salmon with pan roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts which roast at the same heat and can be put in the oven ahead of the salmon. Enjoy!