Slow-Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes and Herbs
I had been cooking Salmon on the grill, in parchment paper in the oven, and in a cast iron pan. Now I am into slow-roasted Salmon. It is the best way to cook Salmon. With a piece of one-pound Salmon or more, the ends cook more than the middle. You end up with Salmon pieces cooked to perfection, from medium-done to rare.
I started with a recipe from the cooking Website The Kitchn. The Kitchn has many great recipes, and this is one of them. I have changed the recipe by modifying it just a tad after reading Samin Nostrat’s recipe for slow cooking salmon. Samin’s great cookbook is “Salt Fat Acid Heat.” Her recipe for slow-cooked Salmon is on page 310.
I use dill, tarragon and parsley for my bed of herbs. I also use an Herb Salsa recipe for basting the Salmon on the dish.
I use cherry tomatoes and pitted Kalamata olives as in the recipe from the Kitchn.
Which Salmon for this dish?
I think the essential element in this dish is the type of Salmon. The best- tasting Salmon is King Salmon, or Chinook as it’s also called. During King Salmon season in the San Francisco Bay Area, King Salmon runs around $27 a pound. That is a hefty price, but it is so delicious! My second favorite is Atlantic Salmon from a good market. I like Whole Foods for the Atlantic Salmon filet. The price is about $10 a pound.
An alternative fish to try is Steelhead. Steelhead is a trout that looks like and behaves like a Salmon. It spawns in the streams and then heads to the ocean for a year. Costco carries Steelhead and at a terrific price. The thing to watch for is that the Steelhead is a much thinner fish. One must adjust the cooking time of the Steelhead.
Side dishes
We like white rice, oven-fried potatoes, and oven-fried sweet potatoes. For veggies, we like some slender green beans.
Which wines to pair with Slow-Roasted Salmon
Pinot Noir is always a great choice with Salmon, but in this case I am choosing a spicy wine to match the herbs. I also like Grenache wines. Choose a Grenache that is light-to-medium bodied. Southern Rhone wines and those from the Languedoc that are blends; be sure to choose those that are mainly Grenache. Grenache is a perfect match for this delicious and healthy meal.