With summer well underway, we’re making the most of our favorite recipes that are low on prep time and require little effort in the kitchen. Of course, we have salads galore, sandwiches aplenty, and assembly-only dishes on repeat. But when it comes to a simple standout meal, you can bet we’re turning to salmon first—this totally delish baked salmon, specifically.
This recipe for Roasted Salmon and Spicy Cucumber-Orange Salsa comes courtesy of Melina Hammer, author of the newly-released cookbook, A Year at Catbird Cottage: Recipes for a Nourished Life. Perfectly-cooked, juicy salmon is a thing of art in and of itself, but at Camille Styles, we believe that it needs a little something-something to step up the flavor. Enter: this spicy, citrusy, and slightly sweet salsa.
Cooling cucumbers are amplified by a mix of deliciously-fresh dill, punchy fish sauce, and jalapeño. And don’t you dare skip the orange zest—your salmon will taste like summer because of it. So if you’re ready to make the easiest summer dinner party recipe yet, gather up everything you need to make this baked salmon and follow this genius recipe below.
Reprinted with permission from A Year at Catbird Cottage: Recipes for a Nourished Life. Copyright © 2022 by Melina Hammer. Photography Copyright © 2022 by Melina Hammer. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.”
Get Melina’s tasty baked salmon recipe below!
Roasted Salmon and Spicy Cucumber-Orange Salsa
Serves 4 servings
An easy, zesty, and colorful summer meal.
Categories
Spicy Cucumber-Orange Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 small bunch dill, chopped (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
- 2 or 3 garlic scapes, finely chopped (see note)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- Half a jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed if you prefer less spicy, very thinly sliced on a mandoline
- Zest from 1 orange
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, dill, scapes, olive oil, avocado oil, vinegar, fish sauce, jalapeño, and orange zest.
- Toss to incorporate, taste, and add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. Set aside.
Note: Find garlic scapes late spring or early summer at farmers’ markets. If you’re unable to source scapes, you may use 2 scallions or a small bunch of chives
Roasted Salmon
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds wild sockeye or coho salmon fillet
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (bonus if it is flowering), for garnish
- Flake salt
Instructions
- Lightly grease a sheet pan with olive oil and lay the salmon skin side down onto it.
- Drizzle with more oil, spread to coat, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. The fish should warm to room temperature while the oven heats for even cooking.
- Roast the fillet until the surface is opaque and the center is still translucent. Check after 8 to 10 minutes for doneness. Chances are some eaters will prefer greater doneness, and some medium-rare. The varied thickness in a portion of salmon will contain parts to please everyone.
- Carefully transfer the fillet to a serving platter and spoon the salsa to top the salmon.
- Garnish with torn fresh cilantro and scatter flake salt to taste.
Delicious! Perfect summer salmon recipe. Tweaked it a bit because I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand (I don’t like dill so I used scallions and I did not have any avocado oil. Oh, and I used trout). Family loved it! This one is a definite keeper.
This salmon recipe is something to die for! Also they are highly nutritious and help in weight loss. This recipe will be perfect to serve on the dinner table. And the spicy orange-cucumber salsa is definitely an add-on! But can I replace the olive oil with ghee for roasting salmon? I guess ghee is a better and healthier option and won’t disturb the taste at all.
So glad to hear you love it! It’s one of our faves as well. To answer your question—yes, ghee is a great substitute! It’ll give your salmon a nice, crispy exterior and a delicious buttery flavor. Enjoy!