A friend turned me on to a local fish market that gets fresh, quality fish flown in on a daily basis. I’m all about the fresh so I had no question about checking the place out. Turns out it was totally legit: small shop, great service, and just the right amount of fresh fish based on what was fished literally the day before – or sometimes even that day.
I decided to go with salmon since it’s pretty basic and I’m a huge fan. I placed my order, proceeded to the check out counter – and almost had a heart attack when they told me how much I owed. I realized coincidentally the irony in the fact that I was purchasing a fish that has been claimed to promote heart health as my heart rate rose upon hearing the price. It was waaaaaaay more than I was used to paying at the local grocery store. I almost backed out of my order but decided to suck it up, and that this would be the first and last time I came here. Who did they think they were? Were they insane? I thought to myself as I unwrapped the packaging. I took the fish out and began to rinse it. I swear, I should have just — holy crap. This was the smoothest fish I had ever touched. It’s coloring was beautiful, and a far cry from the CO2-injected, several day old, who-knows-where-they-got-it-from fish I was used to preparing. And that’s when it happened: I became a fish snob. It was so good that I even went back again a week later and made these outrageous Red Snapper Fish Tacos.
Using this salmon I made a very simple, minimal-ingredient fish dish that anyone could follow for a quick weeknight meal. It was delicious – and now I am hooked on the place (no pun intended.) For the locals, it’s called “Clean Catch” fish market located on Selwyn Avenue. And if you aren’t in the market to regularly spend a great deal on fish, at least sign up for their newsletter so you can stay up-to-date on what’s fresh for those nights you feel like splurging. In the meantime, here’s the recipe:
PunkWife’s Simple Salmon
- 2-4 pieces of salmon
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper
- herb butter (see below)
For the herb butter: Mix 2 tbsp fresh (or dried) herbs with 2 tbsp butter.
Directions: First, preheat your oven to 400. Rinse your salmon and pat dry. Place in a dish and season each side with salt and pepper, as shown above.
Next, heat the olive oil on the stove top in a medium sized skillet (preferably one that can go right into the oven) over medium heat. Sear the salmon on each side – about 3-5 minutes per side.
Once salmon is seared, divvy up the herb butter evenly on the tops of the salmon and bake in the oven for 7-9 minutes. Seriously, that’s it – you can mess salmon up very quickly if you leave it in there longer than that. (If your pan can’t go in the oven, carefully transfer the salmon into a baking dish and top with butter once in the dish.)
You can check on your salmon about halfway through and spoon the melted butter back on the top. Your salmon is ready once the middle is cooked to your liking – I prefer very light pink. Serve with a side of veggies and rice or quinoa for a complete meal. Enjoy!
