For an oven-roasted salmon recipe that will give us a nicely browned exterior and a silky, moist interior, we developed a hybrid roasting method, preheating the oven to 500 degrees, on the other hand, turning down the warmth to 275 just before placing the fish in the oven. The initial blast of high heat firmed the exterior and rendered some excess fat. The fish gently cooked in the oven and stayed moist as the temperature slowly dropped. Our oven-roasted salmon recipe was complete when we added an easy relish with acidity and bright flavor to balance the richness of the fish.
Ingredients
- skin-on salmon fillet (1 to 2 pounds), about 1 to 1/2 inches in the thickest part
- two teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and ground black pepper
Before you begin
To ensure uniform cuts of salmon that cook at a similar rate, buy a whole center-cut fillet and cut it into four parts. If your knife is not sharp enough to easily cut through the skin, try a serrated knife. It is essential to keep the skin on during cooking; remove it afterward if you choose not to serve it.
Instructions
Adjust the oven shelf to the lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on the shelf, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Following step by step illustrations below, use a sharp knife to remove any whitish fat from the belly of the fillet and cut into four equal pieces. Make 4 or 5 deep slashes about one inch apart along the skin side of each piece, and be careful not to cut into the flesh.
Pat the salmon to dry with paper towels. Rub fillets evenly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees and take away the baking sheet. Carefully place salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet. Roast until centers of the thickest part of the fillets are still translucent when digging with a knife or an instant-read thermometer inserted within the thickest part of fillets registers 125 degrees. After 9 to 13 minutes, transfer the fillets to individual plates or platter, top with relish, and serve.
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