I know so many people who hate salmon. I have a theory that it’s not the salmon they hate, it’s that they hate poorly cooked salmon. I get it. Overcooked salmon is the worst. It is almost crumbly and somehow super fishy. Gross. Nobody wants that.
The good news is that there’s a simple and easy trick for cooking salmon that will give you excellent results every single time!
Fish can seem intimidating, so I understand why so many people manage to overcook it. For one, you feel like you don’t have as much room for error as with beef or other such protein. I also think that people worry that there is a higher risk for foodborne illness with seafood (there isn’t). Also let’s be honest, in terms of excitement, a piece of salmon often falls somewhere between white rice and boneless skinless chicken breast.
Guys! It doesn’t have to be that way!
Cook your salmon to a nice medium, season it well, serve it with a great sauce and I betcha it will become part of your regular dinner rotation!
Oven Roasted Salmon with Arugula and Tomato Sherry Cream Sauce
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Salmon
- 4 6oz salmon fillets (skin on, if possible)
- garlic salt and pepper, to taste
Arugula
- 5 oz fresh arugula
- ½ shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ shallot, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup dry sherry
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste
Directions
- Prepare a sheet pan with a silpat or foil. Salt and pepper salmon on both sides, place salmon on pan, skin side down.
- Put salmon into cold oven. Turn oven to 400 degrees. Remove after approximately 20 – 22 minutes. You want the salmon to be slightly firm, but with a bit of give when you pull it out of the oven. Remember that there will be a degree of carryover cooking when you pull it out. You ultimately want the salmon to still be a tiny bit rare inside – the same way that you might cook a steak to medium.
- While the salmon is cooking, sautée the shallots over medium heat in butter and olive oil in a sauce pan.
- Once the shallots have softened, add the sherry and cook until it has reduced by almost half.
- Add the cream, and reduce heat to medium low. Add mustard, diced tomato and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until it thickens and reduces by about a quarter.
- When it has reduced to your liking, taste it, and add salt, pepper, and lemon zest.
- When salmon has been removed from the oven, sautée shallots and garlic in butter and olive oil in a sautée pan over medium heat.
- When they have softened, add arugula and sautée until it just begins to wilt. Remove from heat.
- To serve, place a salmon fillet over a bed of arugula, top with sauce, and garnish with fresh tomatoes.
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