Salmon At Dinner? Here at home, we eat salmon at least once a week. Two reasons: it’s good for your health and my kids love it.
Although I don’t let myself get influenced from their reactions to my menus, I must confess that sometimes the twisting noses at something greener or less carnivorous weighs me down a bit, after all, it’s also the end of the day for me.
So, fish for dinner + youngsters in a good mood = salmon!
Once Again, Healthy Fats
It’s so cool to write these two words together – healthy fats.
Who would have thought … But, well, recent studies seem to have concluded so.
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3, an anti-inflammatory fat.
It also contains vitamin B12, which has a stimulant and antidepressant effect on the brain, and choline, which also has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system.
Finally, of course, it is also a source of protein, indispensable for a balanced meal.
“Wild Caught” Or “Farmed”?
I am currently a fan of the whole wild salmon loins from Iglo (BirdsEye in the UK). They give me greater flexibility on how I want to portion the fish and thus they are less dry. Plus, cooking the whole thing never fails to make an impression.
“I Buy The Package And Do What, Exactly?”
Now we come to the most important part.
If you buy frozen salmon, the first thing to do is to let it slowly unfreeze, in the fridge (not in the freezer, obviously) and in the package. It usually takes about 8 to 10 hours. I do it in the morning and they are usually unfrozen at night. If you keep your refrigerator on the colder side, maybe you should anticipate the process to the night before.
When I am ready to cook, I take the fish fillets out of the package and then rinse it and dry it carefully. Now it’s time for seasoning.
How To Cook
Salmon tastes great steamed, baked in the oven or grilled. I am purposely excluding more elaborate dishes such as fish curries, where the salmon can also taste amazing. These versions are for future posts.
- Grilled: I don’t do this at home because the smell that stays in the house is strong and I don’t like coming to the kitchen for breakfast the next morning and still smell the salmon dinner. So, at home, I only steam or bake.
- Steam: I have a steam oven. It takes about 15 minutes to cook a 3 to 4 centimeters thick fillet. If you cook it on the stove with a steaming basket, it should take around the same time.
- Baked in the oven: I preheat the oven to 200º C for 10 minutes. When I place the salmon in the oven, I reduce it to 180º C, because I don’t like it to be very dry. The time needed to get to the point I like varies greatly with the size of the fillet and the seasoning. For a simple salmon recipe with no extra sauce, it will take 20 minutes to bake the entire tranche and a 2-inch portion will only take 12 to 15 minutes.
And The Recipes, Finally!
These are the 3 recipes that I cook most often.
None will take more than 5 minutes to prepare. They are almost more “seasonings” than recipes themselves. But they do justice to the salmon and are a great base for a more or less elaborate dinner as the occasion dictates.
The quantity of salmon to be used: count 150 grams per person, whether you use individual fillets or whole tranches. The salmon shrinks a bit in the oven, don’t be scared when it happens to you.
Salmon With Herbs And Sea Salt
I thought a lot about whether or not to include salmon here … after all, it’s super simple. But if Glow Chef’s mission is to make healthy eating easy – I concluded that I should share with you what I do when I don’t want to (or can’t … it also happens) to think at dinner time. This is automatic for me. I’ve posted a picture of one of these dinners on Instagram.
The herbs I like to use are, in order of preference: dried dill, fresh chives or fresh thyme. I usually only use one at a time.
It could not be easier:
Mince the selected herb if necessary. Dried herbs are usually already chopped.
Place the salmon – in a whole tranche or cut into fillets, as you prefer – on a baking tray (as I’m lazy to clean up, I always line the tray with aluminum foil).
Season the salmon with sea salt and black pepper and sprinkle the selected herb. Once I discovered smoked sea salt, entirely by chance … I use it precisely here. But regular sea salt also works great.
Optional: sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake in the preheated oven (reduce the temperature to 180º C) for the time indicated above: 20 minutes for a whole tranche and 12 to 15 minutes for individual fillets.
When I take it out of the oven, I sprinkle the salmon with a few drops of lime or lemon juice.
Miso Salmon
In this recipe, the ideal is for the salmon to marinate in the miso sauce for 2 or 3 hours. However, I rarely get to that level of organization. I make the sauce last minute and let it marinate for 15 – 30 minutes.
Ingredients
for every 150grs of salmon
- 2 tablespoons miso paste (either one)
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon of tamari (if you’re using dark miso it won’t be necessary, as the paste is already quite savory)
- ½ a garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Method
Mix all ingredients in a deep dish.
Put the salmon fillets and cover them with the sauce. Marinate for as long as you can, up to 3 hours.
Heat the oven for 10 minutes at 200º C.
Place the salmon in a baking dish and in the oven, reducing the temperature to 180ºC.
Bake for 20 minutes if you have individual fillets or for 30 minutes if you have one (or more) whole tranches.
Salmon With An Almond And Orange Crust
Ingredients
for every 150grs of salmon
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon quinoa flakes
- 1 teaspoon orange peel
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- Half a teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Method
Heat the oven to 200ºC for 10 minutes.
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and mince until it still has a thick texture.
Layer each salmon fillet or the entire tranche with a thick coating of the mix.
Reduce the temperature of the oven to 180º C and put the salmon in.
Bake for 20 minutes if you have individual fillets or 30 minutes if it is a whole tranche.
Side Dishes
- An absolute favorite here at home: soba noodles seasoned with sesame oil and a green salad.
- Second favorite: steamed broccoli seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or lime juice).
- Third, but also recurrent: asparagus and potatoes, steamed and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.
