Slow-Roasted Salmon with Lemon-Herb Aioli Recipe
15 min
30 min
4
Main
American
Wild-caught salmon — more flavorful but leaner than farm-raised — is slathered with a tangy, seasoned mayo-mixture before baking and broiling. The result is luxuriously rich and moist salmon with minimal effort and next-to-no clean-up. This works on any species of salmon as well as halibut and rockfish.
Ingredients
4 (5- to 7-ounce) salmon fillets, pin bones removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1 medium garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus wedges for serving
1 pound pencil thin asparagus, ends trimmed
Olive oil for tossing
Directions
Prep the salmon and Aioli
Preheat the oven to 275°F with racks in the center and top positions and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Arrange the salmon on the baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the flesh with 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit while the oven preheats.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chives, dill, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice and season lightly with salt and pepper.
roast the salmon and asparagus
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and slather the flesh side with half of the mayonnaise mixture, reserving the rest for serving. Add the asparagus to the empty spaces, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the salmon registers 125°F.
Remove the pan from the oven and turn on the broiler. Remove the asparagus from the pan if they’re done to your liking.
Finish and Serve
Return the pan to the oven to the top rack and broil just until the salmon is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch closely as broilers vary greatly.
Transfer the salmon and asparagus to a serving platter, sprinkle with fresh herbs, and serve with the remaining aioli and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Pro tips
Pair it Up
For a simple baked salmon, reach for a rosé made using the saignée method. These are usually a bolder choice than your average rosé, providing an audacious pair to your new simple go-to dish.
Spice it up
Add chopped capers or pickled jalapenos to the aioli for different flavor profiles.
Ingredient Swaps
Swap out the asparagus with thin spears of broccolini, sliced Brussels sprouts, or zucchini sticks.
slow-roasted whole sockeye fillet
Grace Parisi
Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
