Wild Salmon With Pesto
Chef’s Notes: I prefer to use wild salmon for this recipe. You can substitute farm raised salmon if you like. I just find the farm raised salmon flabby in texture.
The flavor does not change that much when you use farm raised salmon, it is more a textural thing for me. I even prefer to use flash frozen salmon over farm raised. However, most of the year, farm raised is all that is available in my part of the country.
I do not enjoy wet fish. High heat is the key to making this and any fish dish work. I tend to cook the fish a little longer than advised below. Julia Child would smack me if she knew.
If you don’t have time to make your own pesto sauce, there are dozens of varieties on the market shelves.
—Ward Alper
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz pieces of salmon fillet
- 4 Tbs pesto sause
- 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbs pine nuts or pistachio nuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 400-425 °F
Combine lemon juice and pesto sauce. Spread evenly over each piece of salmon. Press the nuts onto the salmon.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes per inch of thickness.
I suggest cooking the farm raised an extra minute or so.
Spoon any sauce and juices over the fish fillets