Herbed salmon is one of those recipes that never goes out of style. It's the perfect choice when you're in the market for a simply roasted, yet still sumptuously flavored, fillet of fish. Although remarkably easy to prepare, herbed salmon feels elegant enough to serve for a fancy dinner party. A generous amount of fresh dill and parsley provides both herbaceous aroma and colorful adornment, while the gentle sweetness of sautéed shallot combined with the zinginess of lemon provides intensely savory depth. All you need is a seasonal accompaniment or two, and you're set.
Herbed salmon pairs beautifully with the dill potatoes also pictured here, followed by a slice of blueberry crumble pie for dessert.
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Ingredients for Herbed Salmon
- salmon fillet
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- shallot
- lemon
- fresh dill
- fresh flat leaf parsley
- dry white wine
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
First make sure the salmon has been skinned and deboned. Then place the fillet in a large roasting dish and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 425℉.
Next prepare the rest of the ingredients, beginning with the shallot. Finely mince the shallot and then heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
Add the minced shallot and sauté for a few minutes, or until it is fragrant and becoming translucent. Set aside to cool.
Then zest and juice the lemon.
Whisk together the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice.
Then drizzle the mixture evenly over the salmon.
Using a spoon, baste any areas that were missed. Then season the salmon generously with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the sautéed shallot and lemon zest over the salmon and pour the wine around the edges of the fish.
Roughly chop the dill and parsley, combining them together into one big herbal heap.
Then scatter the herb mixture thickly over the salmon.
Roast the salmon for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is almost cooked in the center at the very thickest part. After removing it from the oven, cover the dish with aluminum foil and allow the salmon to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Cut the salmon into serving pieces and serve with your favorite seasonal accompaniments.
Hint: Whenever possible, I recommend choosing wild caught salmon. Although wild fish is usually the more expensive choice, it's worth it. (The fillet pictured here is fresh Copper River king salmon, which I was lucky enough to get my hands on shortly after it was pulled out of the river by my brother.)
Serving Suggestions
- To accompany - I usually serve a generous heap of steamed dill potatoes alongside this dish. Alternatively, you could team it with some simple herb-flecked basmati rice or crusty sourdough bread. But almost any starchy side could be nice here...just choose your favorite.
- To drink - A good Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay pairs particularly well with herbed salmon.
- For dessert - A little sweet something featuring blueberries or lemon always makes an especially wonderful dessert to follow this dish. Blueberry crumble pie is a popular option on my table.
Equipment
Any sort of roasting dish (i.e. glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) can be utilized here, as long as it is large enough to accommodate your salmon fillet.
Storage
Leftover herbed salmon can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.
Top tip
If you prefer your salmon to be satisfyingly succulent, rather than disappointingly dry, it is really important not to overcook it. And wild salmon will take slightly less time to cook than a farmed fillet. An instant read thermometer can be very useful if you are nervous about judging for doneness by color and texture alone. For wild fish, aim for an internal temperature between 120 and 125 degrees F when you remove it from the oven. And for farmed, go for somewhere between 130 and 135 degrees F. The salmon will continue to cook as it rests under its blanket of foil.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with herbed salmon:
📖 Recipe
Herbed Salmon
Equipment
- large roasting dish
Ingredients
- 2½ to 3 pound salmon fillet skinned and deboned
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot finely minced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup fresh dill roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
Instructions
- First make sure the salmon has been skinned and deboned. Then place the fillet in a large roasting dish and set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Finely mince the shallot. Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and sauté for a few minutes, or until it is fragrant and becoming translucent. Set aside to cool.
- Zest and juice the lemon. Whisk together the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice.
- Drizzle the mixture evenly over the salmon. Using a spoon, baste any areas that were missed. Then season the salmon generously with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the sautéed shallot and lemon zest over the salmon. Pour the wine around the edges of the fish.
- Roughly chop the dill and parsley, combining them together into one big herbal heap. Then scatter the herb mixture thickly over the salmon.
- Roast the salmon for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is almost cooked in the center at the very thickest part. After removing it from the oven, cover the dish with aluminum foil and allow the salmon to rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Cut the salmon into serving pieces and serve with your favorite seasonal accompaniments.
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