Panko-Crusted Salmon

Whether you love salmon or hate salmon, I bet you will love this recipe! This was absolutely delicious!

One thing I loved about this recipe was that you could taste the different flavors individually, as well as a collective whole. In each bite you could taste the Dijon mustard, lemon and parsley and they all paired together so well with the salmon! It was especially tasty with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice on top. The slight crunch that the panko bread crumbs provided was a really nice touch!

As I mentioned in one of my posts last week, you can find panko bread crumbs in the Asian section of the grocery store. Tonight was the second time I have used them, and I'm a big fan now! They will surely be a staple in my pantry from now on.

The recipe calls for you to sear the salmon in an ovenproof pan on the stove, and then transfer that pan to the oven to finish cooking. Luckily, I am a somewhat new owner of a Pampered Chef stainless steel skillet, which is oven- and broiler-safe, so I just used that. However, if you do not have a pan that is able to go in the oven, then I'm sure you could just sear the salmon on the stove and then transfer the fish to a dish that can go in the oven to finish cooking. I'm not sure how much that will change the final result. I'm assuming that the skin will not be quite as browned, but I'm sure that the salmon as a whole will still taste great!

Besides the fact that this was very delicious and bursting with flavor, it was so easy and quick to put together! Hardly took any effort or time. This would be a great dish for you to try yourself to enter the contest/giveaway that I'm holding! :-) You have 5 more days to enter!

Panko-Crusted Salmon
Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?
Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers in 2010.

Total time: about 25 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 (6-8 ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.
3. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet. The mustard will help the panko adhere.
4. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.
5. Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5-7 minutes until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.