When I find something that I really like, I tend to stick with it for a while. This lemon dijon and caper salmon recipe is no different. For so long I was scared and hesitant to cook any type of seafood other than shrimp at home, mainly because it was foreign and uncharted waters, but also because like – what if it tasted all fishy? You know what I’m talking about. I mean yeah it’s seafood, but that doesn’t mean I should feel like I’m licking the bottom of the ocean floor does it? Well, this was the year that I finally decided to take the plunge and try my hand at cooking a seafood meal on my own. While you can find my first (really) successful take on it here, I decided to include it in this Simple Staples series as it is just that….a simple staple.
I did some research on how to pick out the “best” or “right” fish beforehand, and this website is a great resource that can help to determine which is the most “sustainable” fish to choose. I typically go for wild-caught whenever possible, as well as fish that are from the U.S. Believe it or not, Target actually has a great frozen option of Alaskan Keta Salmon Fillets that I like to buy. They are individually wrapped and pre-portioned, which makes thawing and serving super easy!
As for the actual cooking, my cousin taught me a great trick…half of which I’ve implemented. She sears it in a skillet before transferring to the oven heated to 275* to finish baking to give it a nice crust. I haven’t tackled the searing part, but I have taken her advice and gone with the lower temperature, longer time baking method. I think it makes the fish more tender and juicy, but maybe that’s just me. Another technique I swear by? Wrapping it in foil. It locks all the flavor and juices in, and tastes so good you’d swear you’re at a fancy restaurant and not your couch…or dinner table.
- 1 pre-packaged wild caught Alaskan Keta salmon fillet, thawed
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon dijon or whole grain mustard of choice (I actually used a basil mustard from Trader Joe's...so good)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon capers
- ground pepper
- garlic powder, or minced garlic, if desired
- Preheat oven to 275*F.
- Squeeze out juice of half a lemon into a small bowl. Mix in mustard, EVOO, capers, pepper, and garlic, and stir well.
- Once oven is preheated, create an aluminum foil "pouch" to bake the salmon in. Place salmon fillet in middle of aluminum foil.
- Fold edges of aluminum foil up to hold juices in before pouring in the lemon and dijon mixture. Secure foil edges to completely enclose salmon.
- Bake at 275* for 20-22 minutes, or until salmon is flaky.
- Remove from oven and aluminum pouch, top with extra squeeze of lemon juice, and enjoy!
- For thawing salmon: I move from the freezer to the fridge either the night before, or the morning of. By the time I'm home, it is usually thawed! If not, you can place in a tub of cool water for ~30 beforehand.
- Sometimes I use EVOO, sometimes I don't. Tastes great either way!
If you don’t want to take my word for how yummy this recipe is, then check out these shots that Stacie Hassing of Simply Nourished took when she gave this simple staple a try and you might just change your mind š I love that she paired it with a kale salad for some extra greens and crunch. I’ve loved getting to know Stacie and her bubbly personality through social media, and I guarantee you’d love her too! Give her a follow on Instagram or head over to the Simply Nourished recipe page for more of her own drool-worthy recipes!
It’s called a simple staple for a reason, right? No need to pull together 15 different ingredients for this!
And then just wrap it all up in foil — makes for super easy clean up!
My stomach is in full-fledged “THIS LOOKS SO GOOD I NEED IT” hunger mode after looking at these…what about yours?
Pure bliss. A very special shout out to Stacie for giving this recipe a shot, and taking some beautiful shots of it! Makes me realize that I could benefit from another camera besides my super high-tech iPhone 5s š
I’ve made this recipe TOO many times since you posted the original! Too yummy! xo
this just made my night!! i’m so glad you like it š