Baked Honey Mustard Salmon - Easy Weeknight Salmon Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to best salmon? ›

A dry brine gives you firmer, juicier fish fillets with kettle-chip-crisp skin. Credit... Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times.

Roasting salmon fillets in the oven gives you beautiful, succulent fish that doesn't require constant attention. This method, which we recommend if you're cooking four or fewer fillets, has you sear the fish in a pan on the stovetop first, which crisps the skin delectably.

Use a “barrier”: This tip will come in handy when you're baking fillets. Olive oil, butter, or even a sauce can serve as a protective barrier between the salmon and the heat, allowing it to cook without losing too much moisture. Herbs, vegetables, and lemon slices can also be used to to fillets as they cook.

No, it is generally not necessary to wash salmon fillets before cooking them. In fact, it is often recommended to avoid washing raw poultry, meat, or fish, including salmon, as it can increase the risk of spreading bacteria to other surfaces in your kitchen.

Culinary experts and chefs recommend using large stainless steel or cast iron pan for baking salmon in the oven. Though you can use pans made of other materials as well, these two are just the most recommended ones. If you're wrapping your salmon in foil you can even simply use a baking sheet or cookie pan.

If you enjoy a crispy exterior, then pan seared salmon is the way to go. Baking salmon is a great option for a larger piece of fish (try this Baked Salmon in Foil for an easy technique).

A creamy but slightly tangy sauce works really well with salmon, and it's why sour cream-dill sauce over salmon is such a classic. Try mixing in curry powder, Sriracha, or scallions into yogurt or crème fraîche for an easy, elegant salmon topper.

It is a good idea to let salmon sit out for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking so that it can warm to room temperature. Do not let it sit out for too long. You want it to reach room temperature right before cooking. If it is at room temperature for too long it can be a food safety risk.

What keeps salmon moist? ›

Slow-roasting is the most foolproof method.

Poaching salmon in olive oil also provides moisture-reinforcement.

So, you want skin that is super crisp and flavorful, just as you would want with chicken. Starting your salmon skin-side down, and cooking it until it is well rendered, lightly browned, and crisp, and then turning the salmon to finish the cooking, will make for a terrific dining experience.

Brown explains that wet-brining salmon—soaking it in water seasoned with salt—helps solidify the fat within the protein, so it doesn't leach out as quickly once the fish hits the heat, “keeping it nice and succulent.” In other words: less chance of drying out. The other option is dry-brining, or curing.

Apparently, the proteins present in milk can bind to the fatty acids that have been exposed to air and give salmon its fishy odor or taste and mitigate them to be more neutral. (Fishiness is caused by the oxidation of fatty acids.)

King (Chinook)

There's a reason this species is at the top of the list and earned itself the royal moniker: King salmon is considered by many to be the best salmon money can buy. It's rich, high in fat, and big.