Looking for new recipes for salmon? If you love salmon and eat it often, you will appreciate these three recipes for salmon that make this incredibly nutritious fish even more appealing. Salmon is a popular fish because of its versatility and meaty texture–even my twin six-year-old grandsons love salmon! It gives me joy watching them chow down on salmon because I know it’s healthy food. Salmon is a lean protein and rich in fatty acids that are beneficial for the heart. Salmon protein is a go-to protein source for many people, and for good reason.

Salmon is a family favorite around the world and can be cooked in many ways: broiled, baked, poached, grilled, added to soups and chowders, and more. If you’re not familiar with cooking salmon, it may be intimidating, but we’re here to help. There are loads of simple dishes that are suitable for beginners and experienced cooks to experiment with and learn the joys of cooking and eating this glorious fish.

How to Cook Salmon

If you’ve never cooked salmon before, you may wonder what is the best preparation. That, of course, depends on our taste and, fortunately, salmon is very versatile. This tender, yet meaty, fish can be incorporated into many different dishes and cooked in a variety of ways. Another option is smoked salmon, which is very popular and doesn’t require cooking. If you want to cook salmon fillets yourself, you can do so by pan-frying, baking, poaching, or grilling. You could call salmon a global fish as many countries have their own age-old salmon specialty dishes. Here are some of them:

Baked Salmon With Sesame Glaze

Baked Salmon with Sesame Glaze

Course: Main

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: fish, salmon, sesame

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets, 6 ounce portions
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp chili sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice wine (mirin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 lime

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix the soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, garlic, and ginger in a shallow glass baking dish or bowl. Add the salmon fillets skin-side up to the sauce and marinate for 15 minutes.
Place the salmon skin-side down on a baking tray and spoon the marinade over the fillets. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve the salmon with sliced lime on top of a bed of rice or baked zucchini.

Recipe Notes

Recipes courtesy of Wild Alaskan Company.

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: French

Keyword: breakfast, brunch, eggs, Eggs Benedict

Servings: 2

Ingredients

2 English muffins
4 eggs
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
8 slices smoked salmon
butter, optional
chopped chives

For the Hollandaise sauce:

2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp white wine vinegar
3 egg yolks
4 ounces diced butter

Instructions

For the Hollandaise sauce: Fill a 3-qt. pan halfway with water and heat until simmering. Add vinegar and lemon juice to a stainless steel bowl, add the three egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is frothy. Then, place the bowl over the pan with simmering water. Continue whisking the mixture over the simmering water until it begins to thicken before gradually adding the butter. Continue whisking. Once the butter is melted and incorporated into the sauce, remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Poach the eggs: Heat water with 2 teaspoons vinegar in a large skillet until gently boiling. Lower the heat to a simmer. Stir the water with a spoon to create a swirl and add the eggs individually by breaking them into a small prep bowl and lowering them into the water. Cook for about 4 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and shake to remove any excess water.
While eggs are cooking, slice and toast the English muffins. Butter if desired. Add two slices of smoked salmon to each muffin half with top with a poached egg. Spoon Hollandaise sauce over each egg and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Recipe Notes

Recipe courtesy of Wild Alaskan Company.

Salmon Florentine

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets, 6-ounce portions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
9 ounces baby spinach
2 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Instructions

Add 1/2 T. olive oil, ½ T. butter, garlic, and pepper to a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Then, add the spinach and season with salt and pepper and cook until the spinach wilts.
Add the cream cheese, cream, and parmesan and cook until the mixture looks like creamed spinach. Stir occasionally to ensure all ingredients are mixed together.
In another skillet, heat the remaining olive oil and butter over medium heat. Season the salmon fillets lightly with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot, place the fillets skin-side down in the skillet. Cook the skin side for 6 minutes, or until crispy, before turning the fillets and cooking the other side for 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook. Salmon is done when it flakes easily when pressed gently with a fork.

Recipe Notes

Recipe courtesy of Wild Alaskan Company.