Mustardy Salmon

I cook salmon often and am always on the lookout for new ideas. This dish has a lovely mustardy flavor and the low heat cooking results in tender rosy salmon. It is also quick and easy. The recipe is on the Epicurious website.

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 tbl. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tb. bread crumbs (I use Panko)

1 tbl. chopped parsley

1 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

2 tsps. mustard seed, crushed

1 tbl. white wine vinegar

1 tbl. lemon juice

2 tsp. prepared Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

4 5 oz. salmon fillets

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Combine the remaining ingredients, except the salmon, to make the topping. Put the fillets in a baking dish and place the topping on the four fish fillets.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the fish is opaque.

Serves 4

Note: Any firm white fish fillet would work well in place of the salmon. This versatile dish can be served with practically any veggie and rice or potatoes. It would also be great on top of a salad with some crusty bread.

Panko-Crusted Salmon

Here is yet another Ina Garten recipe from Barefoot Contessa how easy is that? It's almost too simple to call a recipe and the results are wonderful. The key ingredient is panko, those magical bread crumbs from Japan. No substitutes, please.

2/3 cup panko crumbs

2 tbl. minced, fresh parsley

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tbl. good olive oil

4 6-8 oz. salmon fillets, skin on

2 tbl. Dijon mustard

2 tbl. vegetable oil

lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir until crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.

Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet. The mustard will help the panko adhere.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12 inch cast iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.

Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5-7 minutes (see note) until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

NOTE: My fillets were about 8 ounces each and required about 9 minutes in the oven to be cooked medium rare. I served the salmon with brown rice mixed with sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Salmon Curry

I bought salmon fillet for dinner and wanted a change from my usual broiled salmon. The rest of the meal was simple; roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli with mustard vinaigrette. I found a recipe for a very quick and easy curry in a cookbook called Feast of India by Rani and made some changes to suit my taste. Since I have many of the spices used in Indian cuisine I just had to pull them out of the kitchen cabinet. The salmon was delicious. Rice would have been a more traditional accompaniment but those roasted sweet potatoes were terrific. If you don't have all of the spices called for just use what you have. The salmon will still taste great. If you have some chutney, this is the time to get it from the back of the fridge and put it on the table.

lb. salmon fillet

salt to taste

2 tbl. vegetable oil

1 small onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 1" pice fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped fine

1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

black pepper, to taste

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground dried red chilies

1 large tomato, chopped

juice of 1 small lemon

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook over medium heat until the onion is browned. Mix in the poppy seeds and ground pepper, stirring for a minute. Add the coriander, cumin and ground chili and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato and stir. Add the salmon fillet and lemon juice, gently mixing the masala sauce over the salmon. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is done.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serves 3

NOTE: Rani uses salmon steaks. She puts the salmon steaks on a plate and sprinkles them with lemon juice, turmeric and salt and allows them to marinate for 15 minutes, while making the masala sauce. She adds the marinated salmon and lemon juice after the tomato goes into the masala. I didn't think that a 15 minute marinade would add extra flavor so I eliminated that step. If using steaks, cook the fish for 10-15 minutes.