Jayne: When my boys were 13 & 15, we took a cruise to Alaska. By the time I got home, I was pink from being outdoors and marbled with fat – just like the phenomenal salmon I ate at every opportunity.
Smoked, grilled, roasted, raw. King, sockeye, coho, keta and pink. While I enjoy all preparations, wild king (or Chinook) is my hands-down favorite variety. Wild king salmon is rich and buttery tasting with its high oil content – which also makes it heart-healthy.
This week, Alex, my favorite fishmonger (and butcher) and the head of the Fresh Market of Chapel Hill’s meat and seafood department, cut me a generous piece of what may be the last of the season.
I decided to roast it simply, on light bed of sliced leeks, lemon and dill and spread lightly with a honey mustard and dill sauce. You could also just roast it without the sauce – just salt, pepper and a spritz of lemon.
Given that it the fillet was about 10 ounces, I roasted it at 400 deg. F for about 12 – 15 minutes which was just perfect. The outside was cooked through, with the inside gently cooked yet still red, thick and buttery. Absolutely delicious – I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Recipe amounts are per person – 2 people, double the recipe
- 1 King Salmon Fillet (about 8 oz)
- 1/3 of a leek, sliced
- 4 slices of lemon
- Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh dill, chopped
- White wine
- Dijon mustard (or honey dijon mustard)
- Honey
- Mix 2 tsp of honey mustard (or 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp honey) with tsp of white wine and 1 tbs of olive oil. Add chopped dill with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a squeez of lemon from a wedge and stir with a bar whisk.
- Taste and adjust. Make it your own. It should be so good on its own that you keep tasting it 😀
- Spread it on the top of the salmon. Place salmon on a bed of veggies/herbs. Roast for 12-15 min. at 400 degrees F.
- Let it rest for a few minutes when done.
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