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Mom's Salmon

Mom served fish at least once a week, and salmon was our favorite. She would purchase salmon steaks or fillets depending on what was freshest at our local fish monger. Cook the salmon in a cast-iron skillet or over a hot grill or broiler. Do not overcook it—you want the center to be ruby pink, not dried out, and for the meat to flake apart with the touch of your fork.

Mom’s Salmon

Serves 4

4 salmon steaks or fillets,
1⁄3 to ½ pound per person
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil 

To serve
fresh lemon juice
lemon wedges and/or Cucumber Sauce, below

Garnish
dill sprigs

Directions

  1. Place salmon in a nonreactive shallow pan or a Ziploc bag. Mix garlic with soy sauce, water, and brown sugar in a small measuring cup. Pour over salmon and let marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

  2. Prepare either a cast-iron skillet, grill, or broiler. Remove salmon from marinade and brush with a small amount of the oil.

  3. Cook the salmon either of these 3 ways, starting with skin-side down if the salmon has skin:
    Cast-iron skillet: Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Pour in just enough oil to coat the pan. Place the salmon skin-side down and cook at high heat until the skin is deep brown, about 4 minutes. It will sizzle and crackle. Turn the heat down a notch, flip the salmon, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the center is starting to firm.
    Grill: Heat gas or electric grill over medium-high heat until it is quite hot. Make certain the grill is clean. Brush salmon with oil and place skin-side down. Adjust heat lower so salmon does not char, and grill for 4 minutes. Flip and grill an additional 3 minutes. You can baste the salmon with leftover marinade.
    Broil: Heat broiler. Place the salmon on a broiler pan and position the highest rack of your oven. Broil for 4 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other. Do not overcook.  

  4. When salmon is cooked, plate, squeeze with fresh lemon, and serve with lemon wedges and/or cucumber sauce, and dill.


Cucumber Sauce

An excellent sauce for Mom’s Salmon, above, or to pair with lamb.

Serves 4

½ English cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon dill, dried or minced fresh dill
1⁄3 cup sour cream or yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Toss chopped cucumber and salt together in a small strainer and set over a bowl to drain for at least a half hour. Place drained cucumber in a small bowl and mix in onion, lemon juice, and dill. Add the sour cream or yogurt to reach the consistency you like. Taste, add salt and pepper, and adjust seasonings.

Photos: Lynn Donaldson