When we plan our meals for the week, most of us try to look for variety and a healthy balance. What typically makes my list are plenty of vegetable based dishes, and a few lean protein ones. As much as I like fish, I have to admit that I don’t cook it all that often, because certain members of my family (who shall remain anonymous) don’t care much for it.
When I do cook fish, however, my rule is that the recipe has to be quick and easy, with minimum preparation, a short cooking time, and easy cleanup. This recipe for quick and easy oven-baked salmon, fills all these requirements, is virtually fool-proof and the best thing of all — it can be on the table in just about 15 minutes. Nothing beats the convenience of a healthy weeknight meal like that!
Slowly roasting salmon concentrates the flavors and avoids the risk of overcooking it. For this recipe I am using just four ingredients: salmon, olive oil, lemon and fresh thyme. Yes, there is also salt and pepper involved, but I will not count those. Use the freshest salmon you can find, or, if you don’t care for salmon, use any other cold-water fish, like halibut, Arctic char, or stripped bass.
This recipe serves two, but you can easily double it and have leftovers to toss in salads later in the week. Cooked salmon stores easily in the refrigerator for several days. I hope that even those of my readers who are sitting on the fence and are afraid of cooking fish will give this easy recipe a try!
- 2 salmon fillets, center cut and skin on, about 5 oz. each
- 3 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small lemon, cut in thin slices
- --- sprigs of fresh thyme
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Once it reaches this temperature, place a small pan with water on the lower shelf (this will create a moist environment while roasting).
- Brush the salmon generously with two tablespoons of olive oil on both sides, season with sea salt and pepper and place skin-side-down in a small pan, or, in an oven-proof skillet. Tuck some lemon slices and a few thyme sprigs under the salmon and place a couple of thyme sprigs on top of the salmon.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or, until the color of the salmon turns opaque and begins to flake easily (the baking time will depend on the thickness of the fillet, so check it to make sure). The internal temperature of the salmon should register between 125°F to 130°F when it is ready. Remember that the salmon will continue to cook even after it comes out of the oven.
- Remove the salmon from the oven. Drizzle the fillets with the remaining olive oil, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top, and let the dish rest for 5 minutes.
- Using a flexible spatula, remove the salmon from the pan, place it on individual plates, and discard the thyme--the skin should come off easily. Serve warm or at room temperature with a simple green vegetable on the side.
Here are two more seafood recipes you might want to try:
Quick and Easy Weeknight Garlic Shrimp
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I would love to know what you think – please leave me a comment below!
Frank says
There’s no tastier fish, if you ask me, than salmon. And I like it with minimal fuss, just like this…
Marilena Leavitt says
You are so right Frank! Minimal fuss is the way to go with fish! ?