Every time, this Herb Crusted Salmon comes out great. The flaky, perfectly cooked fish covered in fresh herbs and drizzled with a tangy sauce will delight you.
I made this herb-crusted salmon for my dad, and it was fantastic, if I do say so myself. Even my family members who don’t like seafood much raved about it. The fish tasted nothing like fish and was so flaky and tender. After taking a cooking class with the executive chef of Market Street Grill in SLC, I was given this recipe as well as a delicious recipe for clam chowder. We loved each and every one of the class’s recipes!
Tips and Tricks for Fishing Before we get to the recipe, I’d like to share some of my own fish-cooking tips and some of the tips I learned in our class:
- Costco has excellent salmon, which is surprising. Costco is a good option if you can’t find fresh salmon at a fish market.
- Cooking it while it is still ice cold will ruin the flavor. Before cooking, bring to nearly room temperature, just like with steak and chicken.
- Always try to purchase fish with the same thickness. Avoid the tail end of the fish because it will cook unevenly because one end of the fillet will be thick and the other will be thin.
Ingredients in Herb Crusted Salmon
- Salmon fillets
- Dijon mustard – Grey Poupon is our favorite
- Herb mixture – cilantro, basil, parsley, rosemary, green onion, oregano, any of your favorites
- Fresh garlic
- Hollandaise – optional
More Tips
- Pepper – Only use fresh ground, NOT store bought. Even fresh ground pepper only stays good for 9 months. Store-bought pepper is never good.
- Salt – Always use Kosher salt when cooking, has MUCH better flavor.
- Never boil butter, melt it slowly.
- NEVER add lemon juice while cooking over heat, lemon zest is okay, but lemon JUICE is not. It will make the food taste bitter and gross.
- When using FRESH herbs, you must use 8 TIMES the amount as the dried stuff to get the same effect.
- Roasted Garlic in oil (great over fish): get 2 parts canola oil to 1 part fresh, peeled garlic cloves. Get oil hot (about 360 degrees) add garlic. When oil is teeming, remove from heat and allow to cool while in pan. It will still bubble for a long time, that is what you want. Allow to cool down to room temp. Store in a mason jar, oil, garlic, and all! Crush garlic cloves and spread over fish (or use when any recipe calls for crushed garlic).
INGREDIENTS
Herb Salmon:
- 1 large salmon filet 1-inch thick
- 1 bottle Grey Poupon
- 2 cups chopped herbs cilantro, basil, parsley, rosemary, green onion, any other herbs that you love… get a good mix. Remove all stems, use ONLY the leaves. Use a knife to finely chop and grind up all herbs.
- DO NOT use a food processor.
- Roasted garlic see above, crushed
Hollandaise optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slather salmon with Grey Poupon, use the whole bottle or about 1 cup. Top with herbs and roasted garlic. Cover so it looks like a nice, thick “herb blanket” herb crust.
- Cook in oven at 325 degrees for 20 minutes (20 minutes per inch of thickness) in a glass baking dish or baking sheet (or something oven proof). Serve with garlic oil (from roasted garlic), lemon, and hollandaise.
- Great with rice, veggies, or crackers. (I served my Dad’s over a bed of cooked spinach and garlic)
NOTES
This flaky salmon is perfect for a busy weeknight because it comes together so quickly. Need something to go on the side? Try:
- Rice pilaf
- Baked potato with melted butter (yum..)
- Broccoli
- Roasted veggies crusted with parmesan and herbs (veggies include: zucchini, asparagus, potato wedges, brussels sprouts, any of your favorites)
