Make It Tonight with Salmon or Steelhead Trout

Fresh salmon or steelhead trout is real food, fast: in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, it cooks in about ten minutes (per inch of thickness at 425˚F), no matter the size of the filet you start with. The timing is similar in a hot skillet or on the grill; salmon and steelhead are sturdy fish, with filets that won’t fall apart on you. If you’re tossing it in the oven to roast, a little salt and pepper is all you need, but a few lemon slices and a scattering of fresh dill, a smear of jarred pesto, a quick blend of equal parts grainy mustard, honey and balsamic vinegar or quick teriyaki-like sauce of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger spread over the surface first will produce a tasty glaze.

As with other types of fish it also takes well to poaching and simmering in flavourful liquid, which produces a gentle, even heat; try tossing chunks of fresh salmon into soup at the very end of the cooking time, or into an almost-finished risotto. Poach it in the slow cooker, oven or stove top in a little wine, stock or coconut milk to serve warm or cold. No matter how you cook it, leftovers can be flaked into pasta, sandwiches and grain bowls, making meals easier throughout the week. If you plan ahead for lunches at work, a poached filet of salmon is a great thing to have stashed away in the fridge to add to salads and grain bowls. And if you’re a fan of salmon salad sandwiches, one made with your own roasted or poached salmon will beat one made from a can hands-down.

Roasted Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Ingredients:
1 salmon or steelhead trout filet
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
salt, to taste

Sauce:
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3 Tbsp. real mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 garlic clove, finely crushed
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Place the salmon filet on a parchment-lined baking sheet on top of a few lemon slices, or put the lemon slices on top of the salmon. Sprinkle with dill and salt and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges flake with a fork, but the middle is still moist.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients (this part can be done up to 3 days ahead of time). Serve the salmon topped with the dill sauce, with rice or boiled new potatoes (the sauce is also delicious on these) and salad or steamed veggies.

- Julie Van Rosendaal

Five Make It Tonight recipes for Salmon or Steelhead Trout

	Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Tomatoes
	Grilled Steelhead Trout with Curried Butter
	Roasted Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
	Fresh Salmon Burgers with Caper Mayo
	Fresh Salmon & Corn Chowder