01.31.10
Roasted Salmon
I first had something like this over at Nick and Ceida’s place. The salmon is wonderfully silky-smooth. As always, use good fish and don’t overcook.
In the photo, topped with a tangerine-ginger relish and accompanied by a shrimp salad. Recently I served it with couscous with wild mushrooms and a creamy cucumber-dill salad.
Oven-roasted Salmon
from Cook’s Illustrated
1 skin-on salmon fillet (1 3/4 to 2 pounds), about 1 1/2 inches at thickest part (see note)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Following step by step illustrations below, use sharp knife to remove any whitish fat from belly of fillet and cut into 4 equal pieces. Make 4 or 5 shallow slashes about an inch apart along skin side of each piece, being careful not to cut into flesh.
2. Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Rub fillets evenly with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees and remove baking sheet. Carefully place salmon skin-side down on baking sheet. Roast until centers of thickest part of fillets are still translucent when cut into with paring knife or instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of fillets registers 125 degrees, 9 to 13 minutes. Transfer fillets to individual plates or platter.