Salmon

FOOD

Herb Encrusted Salmon We had a luncheon guest Friday who doesn't ... drink alcohol eat meat on Friday eat shellfish I have an extensive list of Test Kitchen videos saved on DVR, so I perused them for fish recipes.  The first three I came across were for salmon, a fish I'm not terribly fond of because .. well, I'm just not.  However, this Herb-Crusted Salmon (there were two) looked properly good, so I trotted off to the fish monger and took pains to get a center cut Atlantic Salmon that passed muster.  Two pounds (over-kill) skinned and boned cost $34.  This turned out to be the 2nd best fish I have ever had—the first was poached bass at some hole-in-the-wall French restaurant in Manhattan 30 yers ago.  Here's how good it is.  Both MoSup and guest said holy crap at first bite.  I was even more impressed, and had a leftover slab for dinner and some other leftovers for breakfast yesterday.  Most importantly; I used fresh thyme and tarragon, instead of the usual dried stuff, and it made a huge difference. There was another upside: the Panko crust recipe.  I've used Panko for several years and swear by it, however; I usually just put it on top of, say baked chicken breasts, topped with a pat of butter.   Last night we had chicken breasts and I used a variation of the salmon recipe for the Panko.  Perfectly crunchy.   You're welcome.  Here's the video (if it works without a subscription) For the fillets to cook at the same rate, they must be the same size and shape. To ensure uniformity, we prefer to purchase a 1 1/2- to 2-pound center-cut salmon fillet and cut it into four pieces. Dill or basil can be substituted for tarragon. INGREDIENTS Salt and pepper 4(6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets 2tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2cup panko bread crumbs 2tablespoons beaten egg 2teaspoons minced fresh thyme 1/4cup chopped fresh tarragon 1tablespoon whole-grain mustard 1 1/2teaspoons mayonnaise Lemon wedges INSTRUCTIONS 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Dissolve 5 tablespoons salt in 2 quarts water in large container. Submerge salmon in brine and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove salmon from brine, pat dry, and set aside. 2. Meanwhile, melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add panko and 1/8 teaspoon salt and season with pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until panko is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and let cool completely. Stir in egg and thyme until thoroughly combined. Stir tarragon, mustard, and mayonnaise together in second bowl. 3. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Place 12 by 8-inch piece of aluminum foil on wire rack and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. Evenly space fillets, skin side down, on foil. Using spoon, spread tarragon mixture evenly over top of each fillet. Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over top of each fillet, pressing with your fingers to adhere. Bake until center of thickest part of fillets reaches 125 (I did 122º) degrees and is still translucent when cut into with paring knife, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer salmon to serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.