Panko Crusted Salmon

I found this recipe on Pinterest.com. If you haven't heard of it, Pinterest is a social catalog. You browse through pictures and can "pin" your favorites. It's like ripping out a page in a magazine that you want to save for later. You browse your friends pins and people can see your pins. So it allows you to share ideas and inspiration. Every pin has the original website as a reference. It's totally addictive.

We love to eat wild salmon, but I always cook it the same way. I searched for some fresh ideas and found this one.

I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. The panko (japanese bread crumbs- don't substitute with regular bread crumbs) was leftover from some other recipe. I always have a lemon in the fridge. And I grew parsley this summer in a container, so I had that as well. In my opinion, dried parsley has no flavor whatsoever, so fresh is a must!! It pairs beautifully with the lemon.

I usually cook my salmon in a skillet, but never though to put it in the oven for the second half of cooking. The trick is to pull it out and let it "rest" on the cast iron skillet while it's still rare in the middle. I almost put it back in, but it continued to cook once it was out. I think it was the most perfectly cooked salmon I've ever made. The flavors were fantastic. Even Matt loved the lemon.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup panko
2 tbsp. finely minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 (6-8 oz.) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. In a small bowl, combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated; set aside.

Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a work surface. Generously brush the top of each fillet with the mustard and then season with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each fillet to help the panko adhere.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes without turning to brown the skin. (If you don’t want to eat the skin, this step also helps the skin stick to the pan so the fillets can be easily removed without the skin later on.)

Transfer the pan to the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, until the salmon is almost cooked through and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with fresh lemon wedges.

I actually have a picture of my salmon! Here it is just beginning to cook. I made three because one is for Matt's lunch. It's healthier and cheaper for him to take leftovers everyday. I will definitely make this again.