Lemon Butter Salmon with Dill
Glossed with a tangy blend of honey and lemon, this salmon caramelizes around the edges while staying juicy and tender. Dill, lots of it, brings freshness, green as cut grass. Wild salmon works especially well here because the butter in the sauce gives the lean fish richness. (Fatty farmed salmon will simply taste even richer, not a bad thing at all.) Quick-pickled cucumbers and mustard seeds offer a cool, crunchy pop to this dish, but the salmon is also tasty on its own. Serve this with rice, potatoes or a tray of asparagus roasted alongside the salmon.
Ingredients
- 1whole (2 to 2 1/2-pound) salmon fillet
- Salt and black pepper
- 1/4cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
- 3tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 1lemon
- 3Persian (baby) cucumbers, scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 1/4cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus fronds for garnish
Directions
Place the salmon on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and sprinkle all over with salt. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour to draw out excess moisture and intensify its savoriness.
Combine 1 tablespoon honey, the vinegar, mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Zest the lemon over the mixture and whisk until well combined. Add the cucumbers and stir to coat well. Let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least an hour, until ready to serve.
Heat the oven to 425 degrees about half an hour before you’re ready to serve. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe away any excess liquid from the pan as well.
Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon and whisk with the butter, dill and remaining 1/4 cup honey until well blended. Season the salmon generously with black pepper, then spoon the lemon-butter sauce on top.
Roast until a thin paring knife inserted into the thickest part slides in easily and comes out quite warm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Spoon any sauce around the pan over the fish, which will continue to heat through just past medium-rare.
Sprinkle with dill fronds and serve with the pickled cucumbers.
Nutrition
- Info
- Trans Fat: 0 gramsFat: 13 gramsCalories: 219Saturated Fat: 5 gramsUnsaturated Fat: 6 gramsSodium: 465 milligramsSugar: 13 gramsFiber: 1 gramCarbohydrate: 17 gramsProtein: 11 grams