Salmon Roasted in Butter & Herbs is a perfect weeknight meal.
You might be thinking it’s too complicated to make dinner like this when you’ve had a busy day on the go, but in this case, you’d be wrong!
This recipe is so simple but yields flavor that is quite impressive.
If you have good fish – mine even came out of the freezer and into the fridge the morning I cooked this – you’re half way there.
The only other must have for this recipe is fresh herbs. You might have them growing in your garden or in pots on your patio or balcony or you can easily find them at almost any grocery store.
Even though I think this is a perfect weeknight meal – it cooks in 10 minutes, it’s also something I will happily serve to guests. They don’t need to know how easy this is to make.
Here’s what you need:
Salmon Fillet, Butter, Fresh Herbs (Parsley, Thyme, & Mint), Salt & Pepper
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I plan on 6-8 oz. of fish per person so my fillet (which serves 2) is about 1 pound.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
Yes, that’s very hot but the idea here is to cook the fish quickly so it doesn’t dry out.
The herb combo is kind of up to you. I have a robust 2 Tablespoons total of chopped parsley, mint & thyme and I LOVED that combination.
The orignial recipe calls for dill but says that you can make some fairly liberal subsittutions. I think anything in the leafy herb family would work just fine. I’m definitely thinking to add tarragon next time. Basil is a good idea too.
You might be surprised at the addition of mint – it was subtle but a really interesting & clean flavor.
Place 2 Tablespoons of butter and HALF of the choped herbs (1 Tablespoon or so) in a large oven proof pan or baking dish.
Once the oven has preheated, put the pan with the butter & herbs in the oven for 5 minutes so the butter melts and becomes foamy.
Don’t put the fish in yet, just the butter & herbs for 5 minutes.
Once the butter has melted and is starting to sizzle, add the salmon fillet skin side UP.
Return the pan to the oven and roast at 475° for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and peel the skin off the fish.
You might need to use a large spoon to gently scrape the skin off if it resists.
Use 2 large spatulas to turn the fish over.
Season it lightly with salt & pepper and return the pan to the oven for 3-5 minutes more.
10 minutes tops is all it takes for delicately roasted fish with an outstanding butter sauce.
My fish was fairly thin and I like salmon a little toward the medium rare side so I cooked mine for only 8 minutes total.
Remember that the fish will continue cooking internally even after you take it out of the oven so don’t over cook your fish.
This smells SO buttery…so good!
Cut the fish into serving portions, spoon the butter sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining fresh herbs.
By cooking only half of the herbs and saving the remainder for a garnish, you get full flavor plus a nice pop of freshness and color.
There is a serious browned butter situation going on with this pan sauce that is just out of this world.
I made some yellow saffron rice from a packet and a nice green salad. Add a few lemons for squeezing and dinner is served.
I’m thinking that this is a method that would work for almost any cut of thin fish fillet. You can switch up the herbs to your liking or even add nuts.
Definitely a keeper and a recipe that I will be experimenting with down the road.
Here’s the recipe – Adapted from Mark Bittman
Salmon Roasted in Butter & Herbs
This serves 2 but it is easily doubled or expanded.
