Salmon Chanted EveningDijon Panko-Crusted Baked Salmon

Main

As I may have mentioned before, we don’t eat a lot of seafood here in MaiTai Tracy’s Kitchen, we leave that to long time traveling companion Mary (seen here at a fish feast when we visited Croatia).We did dine on plenty of clam chowder along with fish and chips on our trip to Oregon, plus we have been enjoying copious amounts of ahi tuna rolls lately, so maybe our horizons are broadening?

When I saw this on Food Network claiming to be the best baked salmon recipe, I thought what the heck, sounds pretty good, and we really need to eat more fish. Brush the salmon with Dijon mustard, pat on a layer of brown sugar and spices, top with Panko bread crumbs and bake. Simple. We decided to give it a whirl.

I went to Whole Foods and much to my sea creature consternation there were five different types of salmon to choose from. After consultation with the fish guy, I went with the Wild King Salmon, which he assured me was delicious. (Mary recommends the salmon at CostCo.) BTW, I used a smaller piece of salmon (3/4 lb.) in the photo as it is just the two of us.

This salmon was excellent! Just a tad tangy from the Dijon, and the brown sugar and spices add a sweet and spicy caramelized layer. Not to mention that crunchy Panko crust. Wow!

As the recipe did not specify, I used smoked paprika and dark brown sugar as that was what I had on hand. I also used Italian parsley instead of regular as it is more flavorful. I served this over sautéed spinach and red peppers finished with butter and a splash of sherry vinegar.

Not only is this recipe quick and easy, it is definitely company worthy too. It is probably the healthiest meal we have had all year! Is it the best baked salmon? Try it and see.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ pounds skin-on salmon fillet
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs, Italian style
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.

In another small bowl, mix the Panko with the parsley, melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Place the salmon skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet and spread the salmon surface with the Dijon mustard.Press the brown sugar mixture all over the salmon; then top with the breadcrumb mixture. Crimp all four sides of the foil to create a border around the salmon, this will help collect the juices so they don’t spread and burn.

Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, and the salmon is firm and flakes easily when pressed, 15 to 18 minutes (2-3 minutes more if you like a drier salmon). Cut into four equal portions for serving.

4 servings.

Recipe very slightly adapted from Food Network Kitchen.