Moist, juicy, flavorful Baked salmon in mustard sauce and served with cream cheese. You will need just a few ingredients to get a fabulous, healthy meal.

Salmon

Salmon is a wonderful food because it is every bit as delicious as it is healthy. Smoked salmon is one of the nicest tasting things you can add to a salad, add to a pizza topping, generously layered on a sandwich or served with breakfast. Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon is a perfect match, salmon and cream cheese bagels are delicious and you can even add it in to a quiche or frittata. Perhaps a more overlooked way to serve salmon is baked in the oven in a fresh, summery sauce. It is a surprisingly quick and easy meal to prepare, it is really tasty and it’s likely to fit right into your diet plan.

Baked Salmon

The key to a delicious baked salmon is the marinade. As with meat, it is essential to allow it to marinade for at least an hour to allow the flavour to sink in and infuse the fish. Some chefs prefer to apply liberal amounts of the mixture with a basting brush. This step is also where the tenderness and most of the flavor of the dish come from. You may need to turn the fish over during the marinating process to ensure that the flavor is evenly distributed. Take care, when you are selecting the oil for your marinade, not to use one that is too heavy as the beauty of this dish comes from its lightness. A light olive or mild coconut oil are both good choices.

Ingredients for baked salmon

Although light, fresh ingredients such as lemon and fresh herbs work so well, sweet condiments also complement the fish nicely. Maple syrup and honey, perhaps in combination with mustard and black pepper, bring out the sweet richness of baked salmon. Spices such as ginger and cinnamon are also popular choices alongside leafy herbs like fennel and coriander. Soy or Worcester sauce are welcome in a baked salmon recipe, as are finely chopped chillies and whole mustard seeds. There is room for many different exchanges in this recipe.

Tips for baking salmon

When you are cooking the salmon, beware not to leave it in the oven for too long. Place the fillets on the baking tray with the skin facing downwards. I also recommend that you line the baking tray with foil as there is usually a lot of liquid runoff from the fish. This will also make it easier to remove the fillets from the tray once they have been baked as they tend to stick to the surface.

What goes well with baked salmon?

You can serve baked salmon with a huge variety of sides. It’s great on top of buttery, crushed potatoes and wilted greens. It is delicious with sliced avocado, baby rocket and roasted rosa tomatoes. Serve it with a grain such as wild rice or in a pasta dish with a creamy sauce or alongside bok choi or swiss chard. Because of salmon’s soft, silky texture, we recommend that you serve it with crispy, fresh, crunchy, light or fluffy sides to create some variety. It’s also a nice touch to add a wedge of lemon to plated salmon fillets.