Wednesday Wellness: Panko-Crusted Salmon

I finally tried my first recipe from Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That?

It was delicious, and I even had to make some adjustments, as I did not have all the ingredients, and in this ice storm we are having in Baltimore, I decided against venturing out just for a dinner recipe.

Ingredients

2/3 cup panko

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (I just used parsley flakes)

1 tsp grated lemon zest

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 salmon fillets

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
 (just good old fashioned regular mustard in this house!)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2.  In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Drizzle with 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 (I just sprinkled with pepper, as I don't like a lot of salt).  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 med-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 to 4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin. 

(I skipped this part entirely)

5.  Transfer the pan to the hot oven (or in my case, I just put the salmon on a baking sheet and placed in oven) for 5 to 7 minutes (I put in oven for about 10 minutes) until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned.  

6.  Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.  

7.  Serve the salmon hot or at room temp with lemon wedges.

ENJOY!