This year, many of us are foregoing that big holiday ham, roast lamb, or standing rib roast in favor of something a little more intimate and practical for feeding the people in our bubble. This salmon fits the bill. It looks fancy, but it’s so simple, any home cook can make it. It feeds 6-8 and makes a beautiful centerpiece dish for a holiday meal. It’s especially good if celebrating Hanukkah or the Feast of the Seven Fishes is part of your tradition. Ask your fishmonger to remove the pin bones for you, but do run your fingers along the salmon to be sure all the bones have been removed.
Oven-Roasted Salmon with Garlic, Rosemary and Lemon Beurre Blanc
This easy-to-make roast salmon is especially good if celebrating Hanukkah or the Feast of the Seven Fishes is part of your tradition. Ask your fishmonger to remove the pin bones for you, but do run your fingers along the salmon to be sure all the bones have been removed.
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 1 4-5 pounds side of salmon, belly fat and tail trimmed
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 lemons, cut in half
- Olive oil, for brushing
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup white wine,
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 stick butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the salmon
- Salt the salmon and let it rest in the fridge for a half hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl mix the honey with the lemon zest and mustard, brush the mixture on the salmon thoroughly. Place the salmon on a wire rack in a sheet pan. (Tip: Use a sheet of foil on the rack under the salmon to make removal easier).
- Slice the lemons in half and brush with a little olive oil. Finish with a small pinch of salt and place on the rack with the salmon.
- Roast the salmon in the oven until the salmon reaches an internal temp of 125°F and the top is nice and browned. Place the cooked salmon on a platter and garnish with the roast lemons.
Make the sauce
- In a small sauce pot reduce the lemon juice and wine slowly by 25% with the garlic clove and rosemary sprig.
- Chop up the butter, add it to the pot, and mix gently. Remove the garlic and rosemary.
- Season with salt and pepper and spoon the sauce over the salmon to serve.
Notes
This recipe premiered on the Connecticut Public series CUTLINE. Watch CUTLINE: Staying Connected Through Food with Marysol Castro and Chef Plum on CPTV. New episodes of CUTLINE premiere each month. Episodes are also available on content.ctpublic.org, as well as at video.cptv.org; on YouTube; and on the free Connecticut Public mobile app. (Visit Google Play or the Apple App Store to download the app.)