My birthday is New Year’s eve, and every year we would have my party at the restaurant, as my mom was usually cooking prime rib as the special, somewhere in between cooking prime rib for 100 she would make me whatever I wanted to have….I always picked fish.
Usually halibut, she would liberally season it and roast it quick, and until I was about 16 years old (discovered sushi) I didn’t really think there was really any other way to cook fish! So this recipe is a homage to the way the fish was cooked for my birthday every year till I was about 14.
We would always go to the grocery store (Usually Abertson’s or Smith’s) and buy fish fillets, they are really simple to cook, usually they come deboned and trimmed so by the time you cook it all you have to do is portion and serve. I found wild Coho Salmon for a dollar more than the farmed stuff (which I try to avoid) at the Fred Meyer by my house, so I got some and decided to quickly cook it by roasting it in a 450 degree oven, depending on size of your fillet it usually only takes 15 minutes to get perfectly cooked. I’m sure you are aware of the great and healthy aspects of adding fish to your diet, and this is another super simple way to prepare and enjoy our aquatic options.
I seasoned the fish first with salt and pepper, then covered it with some garlic oil I made adding a bit of saffron at the end for aroma, then hit it with lemon juice and fresh herbs to balance the richness of the salmon.
To make your own you will need:
1 fish fillet (not portions) Fillets are the big side flaps.
1/2 T Salt and ground pepper
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
3 cloves garlic smashed
a pinch of red pepper flakes
a pinch of saffron
1/4 cup mirin or you can use dry white wine
1 lemon
a handful fresh parsley and chives or sub in your favorites sage and basil are great.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small sauce pan, place olive oil, butter, garlic, and chili flakes over medium low heat, heat until garlic is fragrant, add mirin, remove from heat add saffron. Use some cooking spray or a bit of oil on a sheet pan, place fillet skin down, season with s&p and pour garlic mixture over fish. Roast 15-20 minutes. Rough chop herbs, zest and juice lemon. Sprinkle cooked salmon with herbs, zest, and lemon juice. Eat. Good for a group or a potluck.
