Baked Salmon

This is one of my favorite recipes when we have dinner parties. It is quick, simple and everyone is always impressed. No need to move it to a pretty dish, serve it right on the baking sheet.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the size of the salmon. Fish is easy. There is only one rule with salmon- do not over cook it. That dry, hard stuff you get in many restaurants is not even comparable to this recipe. Salmon should be moist, flakey and almost buttery.

I was not raised on salmon- unless you count canned salmon. I am not going to dis canned salmon as I believe almost everything has its place. Canned salmon is for salmon patties, at least the down home southern version that my Mom and Memaw cooked for me.

Sometimes it is difficult to find a whole side of salmon, I usually have good luck at Aldi’s, Costco and Sam’s Club. I know, they are chain stores… I always try to purchase things locally when I can.

Serve with a light sauvignon blanc, Emmolo is a great one, or a buttery chardonnay like Sonoma Cutrer.

Sides are easy with this dish. The last time I served it, I threw asparagus on the same baking sheet and it worked like a charm. You can pair it with angel hair pasta in a butter/wine sauce or alfredo sauce, or you can pair it with a potato and a salad.

If you are lucky you will have some leftovers. For breakfast take the leftover salmon and serve with a fried egg, or for lunch toss it on a salad or stuff in a taco.

Baked Salmon

• Servings: 6-8
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This is an easy show stopper for a dinner party or just a normal weeknight dinner. A simple dish that looks amazing and takes only 20 minutes.

Ingredients

1 whole side of salmon
3 garlic cloves minced
2 lemons
3 tbsp of fresh, chopped dill
salt and crushed black pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray or drizzle with olive oil and spread with a paper towel. Place salmon on the baking sheet, skin side down- if skin is intact. Sprinkle with minced garlic and dill. Thinly slice one lemon and place on the top of the salmon. Cut the remaining lemon in half and lay on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Before serving, take the baked lemon halves and squeeze over the salmon.

Make this recipe your own. If you are not fan of dill, you can omit it. If you don’t have fresh dill, replace it with a much smaller amount of dried dill. Experiment with different herbs and spices.

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