I grew up eating a lot of salmon. Living in Southern California, we were able to grill outdoors year round, and some of my favorite evenings were around the BBQ chatting with my family as vegetables steamed in their foil packets and salmon sizzled with butter, lemons, and garlic pepper on top. Once G and I moved to San Francisco, however, grilling was never a possibility. The foggy weather and our lack of outdoor space meant that I had to discover creative ways to cook fish indoors.
One of my favorite recipes came from my indoor experimentations. This salmon is crusty, toasty, salty, and perfectly flaky underneath the roasted garlic, aromatic rosemary, and beautifully browned salt crust. I love to pair this fish with oven roasted root veggies for the perfect, easy dinner.
SALT, GARLIC AND ROSEMARY CRUSTED SALMON
INGREDIENTS
Salmon Filet (for two people we use about 1/2 lb)
Kosher Salt
3-4 cloves Garlic
1-2 springs Rosemary
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat the oven to 425 F. Drizzle a baking sheet with EVOO, then place dry filet skin-side down (I pat mine down with a paper towel before placing it on the baking sheet). Drizzle the top of the salmon with more EVOO, then generously shake kosher salt over the top. You should have an even coating of salt across the top of the fish. I try for a single layer of salt, if that makes sense! Next, either mince garlic very small or use a garlic press and spread evenly over the top of the salmon. Remove the leaves of the rosemary and chop, then sprinkle evenly over top of salmon. Bake for 15-17 min, or until fish is opaque and flakey. Serve immediately!
