Baked Salmon

Baked Salmon

 This is one of the many ways that I love preparing salmon.  I love salmon; it is delicate and when made properly it melts in your mouth.  I think people, especially novice cooks, are intimidated by cooking fish (I know I was) but this is a no fuss, simple recipe that is sure to please!

 Serves 4

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 Salmon fillets, cleaned and patted dry

Coarse salt

Black pepper

Handful of fresh dill, chopped

8 Slices of lemon

2 tbsp white wine

– Preheat oven to 400

– In a deep baking dish (such as a lasagna dish) drizzle half of the olive oil across the bottom of the dish.

– Place the clean salmon fillets evenly spread out across the olive oil and then drizzle with the remaining half tbsp of olive oil over the fish (so you have oil drizzled under and over the fish).

– Season with the salt and pepper, and then top evenly with the fresh dill.

– Place 2 slices of lemon on each slice of fish.

– Pour the white wine around the fish (it will infuse the fish in the steam under the foil).

– Tightly wrap the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (Check after 25 minutes, you will know it is cooked when the middle of the side of the fish is no longer dark pink).

Notes:

1. I have found that 25 minutes is perfect for fish that is under 2 inches thick in the thickest part of the fillet.
2.  You want to get the foil as tight as possible; the idea is to make it as airtight as possible so that the fish steams under the foil.  This also helps from drying out the fish if it happens to be a thinner piece of fish that will be cooked sooner.
3. In another recipe I use foil as a pouch for salmon but this wouldn’t work here because the acid from the lemon would not mix well with the aluminum foil and would make the fish funky (it might poison you as well so you should probably just avoid it altogether!).
4. If you don’t have white wine on hand you can just omit this step.