The Perfect Salmon Recipe for Dinner
Have you ever wondered about the perfect salmon recipe for dinner, and how you can make this fish stand out beautifully whenever you set it on your table? Many people love salmon but aren’t sure how to serve it to ensure the fish tastes it's very best.
Salmon should be light, flaky, and succulent, with tempting flavoring. It can be served with a whole variety of toppings and pairs well with smoky, creamy, and salty flavors, making it enormously versatile, no matter what your favorite toppings are. It’s also good for you, with Omega 3 in it. Don’t miss out on this mouth-watering meal!
Salmon Recipe With Lemon
For this baked salmon recipe with lemon, you will need:
➔ One salmon fillet per person. Choose high quality, wild-caught option if possible
➔ A pinch of black pepper for each salmon fillet
➔ Fresh parsley or rosemary to sprinkle on each fillet (or other herbs if you prefer)
➔ Lemon slices for each fillet, plus some extra juice and some lemon zest
➔ Olive oil, enough for baking
A salmon recipe with lemon can be tailored to your tastes, so use only as much of the flavorings as you enjoy. You may want to start with small quantities (just a sprinkling of herbs and pepper, with a dash of lemon juice) and build up until you hit the exact perfect flavor to make this salmon recipe baked with lemon perfect for you.
Method:
Step 1) To make a salmon recipe with lemon, you’ll need your salmon at room temperature. Start by defrosting frozen salmon in the fridge, and then placing it on the sideboard until it is no longer chilled. If you are started with just chilled salmon, place it on the side and allow it to warm up. Being room temperature helps to ensure the salmon cooks well.
Step 2) Pour a thin layer of oil into the bottom of a baking tray, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 3) Zest a lemon and then squeeze it so that you have plenty of juice.
Step 4) Rub the lemon zest and some of the herbs into the salmon gently, making sure you don’t break up the flesh. You can also add some salt and pepper to the top, and pour a little lemon juice over it all. Cut some slices of lemon, and lay them on top of the fish.
Step 5) Place the salmon fillets in the baking sheet, spacing them out so that the heat can circulate. Put the tray in the bottom of the oven and bake it at 375 degrees F for up to twenty minutes. Keep an eye on it, and if it looks like it’s burning, make sure you cover it with a piece of aluminum foil or a baking sheet.
Step 6) Check that the salmon is cooked through. There should be no dark pink at all, and the flesh should flake very easily if you touch it with a fork.
Step 7) Remove from the oven and serve with extra herbs or lemon juice. Sides of boiled new potatoes and broccoli go particularly well with this meal, and you can add some sprigs of fresh parsley to the fish as well for a really delicious flavor.
So, that’s a super easy baked salmon recipe with lemon, which hopefully you will enjoy! You can make almost any salmon recipe baked with lemon for additional flavor and zestiness, and it’s probably the best pairing you can add to this fish, although there are a great many other options to try.
Easy Smoke Salmon Recipe
An easy smoke salmon recipe, for example, is a great way to serve a delicious meal and wow any guests that you have coming over. Smoked salmon is definitely considered a luxury food by most, and it doesn’t have to be complicated to taste amazing!
You will need some additional ingredients to the above salmon recipe baked with lemon, but as long as you can access some brown sugar and some liquid smoke, the rest of the ingredients stay much the same.
All you have to do is put the salmon in an oiled baking pan, and then sprinkle on a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, some salt, and pepper. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of liquid smoke over the top, and then refrigerate for up to eight hours.
To finish this easy smoke salmon recipe, simply drain it after it has rested in the fridge, and then bake it at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes, until the fish is cooked. Allow it to cool, and then refrigerate it again for eight hours or more, and enjoy cold with lemon slices. This is absolutely delicious and so easy!
Nobody will believe that you make your own smoked salmon fillets, and if you use high-quality salmon, you’ll end up with a melt-in-the-mouth fillet of pure deliciousness.
Salmon Recipe Baked In Foil
What about a salmon recipe in foil? These are also ultra-easy, and it’s the perfect way to make sure your fish stays moist and juicy while baking it slow and hot.
This helps the fish to absorb lots of flavors and makes the most of its texture. It also means you don’t have to worry about it burning; a salmon recipe baked in foil can be a very hands-off cooking experience.
For a baked salmon recipe in foil, all you need to do is line a baking tray with a piece of foil that’s about twice the size of the tray. Position it so that the foil overlaps in all directions, and then layer your salmon fillets inside the piece of foil, with all juices and herbs going on top of the foil as well.
Once everything is ready to go in the oven, simply fold the foil over the top, sealing the fish and all its flavor into a package. As the heat starts to sizzle all the ingredients, the moisture will be trapped by the foil, ensuring the fish doesn’t get dried out by its time in the oven, and the flavors really soak in. Delicious!
You can also create a baked salmon recipe in foil by making individual packets of foil for each piece of fish. This might suit you better, and it means you can create different flavors if you choose to, rather than having all the fish-flavored by one set of ingredients.
If you prefer to make salmon without its skins on, then it’s best to use a baked salmon recipe in foil. When you remove the skins, you allow juices to leak from the bottom edge of the fish, and these are then lost, which can result in very dry fish.
However, leaving the skins on is off-putting for some people, and if you have guests who won’t want to eat around the skins, it may be annoying.
If you want to remove the skins but retain all that moisture and deliciousness, a salmon recipe in foil is absolutely the way to go. Experiment with different ingredients, and enjoy that succulent moisture as a result of the cooking method!
Other Top Salmon Recipes
So, what are the other top ways of cooking salmon? With a food this tasty and healthy, it’s great to have a few different tricks up your sleeve.
A salmon recipe Instant Pot style is often a great choice, especially for weeknights when everyone has been working hard and you want a quick, easy meal that still tastes good. You should pour a cup of water into the Instant Pot, and then put a single layer of salmon fillets in the bottom of the trivet.
Sprinkle on some salt, pepper, and a bit of lemon zest, and then turn the pot on and turn the pressure valve so that it seals. Cook on high pressure for three minutes, and then turn the valve to venting so that the pressure can be released. The fish should now be cooked.
Check it is cooked through, and then serve with a simple, quick side, such as salad or potato salad. You can also sprinkle it with some chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley. This is one of the quickest salmon meals you can make, and it’s a great option.
If you prefer to spend a bit more time on your meals, a cream of salmon recipe can be a good choice. You’ll need a bit of butter, plenty of garlic, some fresh spinach, some cornflour, and some cream for this recipe.
To make it, sear the salmon fillets in oil, for around five minutes until they are cooked. Remove the fillets, put the butter in the pan, and fry lots of garlic and a bit of onion. Reduce the heat and add the cream and gently simmer it, and then wilt the spinach into the mix. Add the cornstarch and a bit of Parmesan as an optional extra.
Once the mix has simmered and cooked together, put the salmon back in the pan and spoon the sauce on top. Serve with rice or steamed vegetables.
If you prefer salty dishes to creamy ones, you could try a salmon recipe with soy sauce. For this, you will make a marinade to soak the salmon in, so you need to leave a little longer for this dish, although only about thirty minutes extra.
Mix some garlic, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper, olive oil, and honey together, and then marinate the salmon in half of your mixture for about thirty minutes (in the fridge). Heat some oil in a pan, discard the used marinade, and put the salmon in the pan. Cook it for a few minutes on each side, and then take it out of the pan.
Tip the remaining marinade into the pan and let it cook down, and then serve it with the salmon and some steamed vegetables or boiled potatoes. It should be salty, gingery, and very tasty.
Tips And Tricks For Making Salmon Delicious
So, now you’ve got some top salmon recipes, we’re going to look at the best ways to ensure that your salmon tastes really good, no matter what recipe you are using to make it.
Tip 1) Aim for a crispy exterior. You can achieve this by turning your oven up high for the last few minutes of cooking and peeling back any foil that you have used. Alternatively, sear your salmon in a pan once it is cooked to get a crispy edge. This adds to the texture.
Tip 2) Choose fatty salmon, because this has more flavor. It’s also good to go for sustainable salmon if possible. Be aware that farmed salmon has got a lot of problems associated with it, and can be watery or mushy.
Tip 3) Check for flakiness. One of the best ways to stop salmon from being cooked too much or too little is to check whether the fish flakes. Simply use a fork to test a corner. If it turns into flakes easily, the fish is done. If it doesn’t, it needs longer! Well-cooked salmon should be just firm, not tough.
Tip 4) Poach your salmon if you want to keep it nice and moist. You can do this in a cup of water and a cup of white wine, or a cup of stock and a cup of cream. Add some herbs to the liquid to ensure the salmon is flavorful, and poach it gently for around ten minutes, checking it is done before serving.
Tip 5) Lemon almost always goes well with salmon. Don’t be afraid to squeeze the lemon juice into pretty much any recipe. It makes the salmon taste fresh and enhances its natural flavors.
Salmon is a delicious food to cook within any situation, and if you’re thinking of making a salmon dish, you have so many options to choose from! Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn, and use foil to keep the juices in the fish. Now you know exactly how to make a perfect salmon recipe for dinner!
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