Family Salmon Recipe
Traditionally cooked Salmon (in my wife’s culture, Karuk) would be roasted on redwood sticks over a very hot Alder fire. It is not possible to do this on given random weeknights at home when we want salmon for the family dinner. However, my wife has found an oven-roasted salmon recipe that creates some of the same wonderful flavors of salmon cooked on sticks over a fire, simply and quickly.
This is a high-heat recipe, intended to imitate the properties of searing heat from the fire on the salmon fillets. The basics of the recipe come from “The Joy of Cooking” 1997 edition.
You don’t want to overcook the fish, keep to the recommended cooking times, then inspect the fish for doneness. You want to remove it before the center is totally opaque, 125-132 degrees, depending on taste.
The oven should be fully preheated to 500 degrees.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a half teaspoon of salt.
Get a shallow roasting pan, spread half the melted butter/oil mixture over bottom of pan. Add salmon fillets, 1.5” thick (plus or minus), into pan, skin side up. Spread remaining butter/oil mixture over fish. Salt and pepper as desired.
Roast for five to six minutes in fully preheated 500 degree oven, remove fish, close oven to keep it at heat, flip fish, return to oven, cook for another five to six minutes on other side.
Check for doneness. Remove the salmon to a platter, pour pan juice over it.
Enjoy.