I’m trying to decide on the best attribute of salmon and I’m completely stuck on a four-way tie between healthy (hello Omega 3 Fatty Acids and healthy proteins!), ease (you can have a perfectly cooked fillet on your table in 20 minutes!), versatility (so many salmon preparations are coming your way) and elegance (perfect for a Tuesday night, but also what friends and family wouldn’t love to be treated to some salmon….assuming they actually LIKE salmon!).
When I am purchasing salmon I typically look for a wild caught salmon and tend towards Sockeye or Coho which both have a bright reddish orange color and rich flavor. When you can find salmon like this, simple preparation is the best way to let the natural flavors shine through.
Once you’ve chosen your salmon fillet, you’ve really probably done the hardest part of the prep work. The rest of the assembly is kind of a non- recipe recipe. Rinse the salmon and pat it dry with a paper towel. Drizzle it with some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fancy it up with some lemon slices and dill and your fillet is oven-ready!
If the goal of your meal is to get dinner on the table FAST, choose some quick cooking sides that can be prepped/cooked while the salmon is in the oven. If you’ve chosen, say wild rice as a side, and your timing gets a little wonky because your fish is done 30 minutes before your rice, have no fear! Salmon tastes delicious hot out of the oven, but also wonderful at room temperature. Cover the salmon with aluminum foil, pour yourself a glass of wine and relax!
Helpful Hints From Mom
- If you have time, prep the salmon about 30 minutes or so before you are going to bake it and just let it rest on the counter before you pop it into the oven.
- If you don’t have dill, try experimenting with other herbs. Italian parsley, chives, basil and tarragon would all be good options.
- When serving, garnish with any extra dill or herb sprigs.
- Cook more than you need for dinner and use leftovers on a salad the next day! Leftover salmon should last several days in the fridge.
Lemon Dill Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 1-2 pound salmon fillet
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 4-5 stems fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up!
- Rinse the salmon fillet and pat dry with paper towels. Lay on the lined baking sheet skin side down. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil (about a tablespoon), spreading over the salmon with your hand or a spatula to evenly coat the fillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Arrange lemon slices over fish fillet. Break apart dill stems and lay over fish.
- Bake 13-18 minutes until fish becomes opaque looking and is just starting to flake. If you gently probe the thickest part of the fillet with a knife the interior should look just slightly translucent. If it is dark pink/red and translucent it is not quite done, alternatively if it is completely opaque it may be slightly over cooked.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
Wow soooo flavorful and ridiculously easy. Who would have known! Literally took 20 mins incl cooking time. Our dinner guests who aren’t huge salmon fans ended up loving it! Thanks!!