Roasted Salmon with Mustard and Seasoned Breadcrumbs
This recipe is an essential salmon preparation that you can assemble in minutes and is a go-to dinner for us. In addition to being delicious and easy, it also has a short cooking time, which allows you to adjust your dinner timing nearly to the minute. I love that. It is suitable for family life - and adds confidence to a host striving to have perfect pacing to their delightful dinner party. I serve this salmon recipe with a variety of side dishes. I will riff on Bubba, the character in Forrest Gump who talks about how to do shrimp. "You can serve it with rice pilaf, saffron rice, herbed rice, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, pasta with red sauce, pasta with butter and lemon, pasta with pesto, polenta, fluffy or sauteed. You can serve it with most vegetables, either roasted, sauteed, or steamed..." You get the picture. It is a versatile recipe - easy to make, quick, and, in my opinion, an essential recipe to practice and perfect. I served it here with sweet potato mash and some baby spinach leaves.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of Salmon (serves two - generously)
- Two tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumb
- Two scallions
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the salmon on a lightly oiled baking dish, skin side down.
- Evenly coat the salmon with Dijon mustard. The amount of mustard used is a matter of preference; I do a thin coating – see-through in some areas – slightly more in others. Use an offset spatula to spread the mustard quickly and evenly.
- Then, season the fish with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a bowl, combine panko breadcrumb, scallion, salt and pepper, and olive oil - just enough to moisten the crumbs.
- Lay the breadcrumb mixture on top of the fish in an even layer. This can be done an hour or two before placing the fish in the oven to roast.
- Bake the fish at 400 degrees until it is cooked to your preference. Cooking time will vary greatly depending upon your oven, how thick the fillet is, how cold it is when it goes into the oven, and how you like it cooked. I cook a 1lb piece (serves two very generously) for 20 minutes or so - and that is typically cooked to “medium” doneness, which is still soft in the middle - but cooked enough to flake - which is what I like. Some prefer rare; others cooked through.
- You can serve this salmon with many accompaniments.