Panko-Crusted Salmon

For Christmas this year, I received a few gifts that were camera-related.  One that I've really enjoyed playing with for the past few weeks has been my Speedlite flash.  It's opened up a whole new world - one in which I don't have to plan to take all of my pictures for this blog before 4 pm when the sun sets.  We're still very much in the "figuring it out" phase, but I love that I can now photograph our dinners on occasion and share them with you!  It's always bummed me out a little when we try delicious recipes at night in the winter and they don't make it to the blog, so I'm hopeful that'll all be changing now. 



This salmon was one of the first recipes I flagged in the new Barefoot Contessa book when I picked it up a few months ago.  I love simple weeknight dishes, and this one definitely falls into that category.  Salmon fillets are brushed with Dijon mustard then topped with a panko breadcrumb mixture before being seared briefly on the stove top and finished in the oven.  From start to finish, it's 30 minutes or less.  The dish was a big hit here - the fish was rich with just a bit of tang from the mustard and the crispy panko topping was a nice contrast in texture.  I bet it'll be even better next time we make it, when *hopefullly* I'm more comfortable with the Speedlite so we can eat our dinner while it's still hot :)  Luckily, Shane's a good sport, as we've eaten more than our fair share of lukewarm dinners recently!       

{Tomorrow is the last day to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Eric Ripert's new book, Avec Eric!  You can enter here if you haven't already!}

Panko-Crusted Salmon
adapted just slightly from Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That? by Ina Garten

2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 (6-8 oz) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon canola (or vegetable) oil
lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.  Add the olive oil to the bowl and stir until all of the crumb mixture is evenly coated with the oil.

With the salmon fillets skin side down on a work surface, use a pastry brush to spread the mustard generously over the tops of the fillets.  Season the fillets with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, then distribute the crumb mixture evenly over the fillets and press to adhere.

Heat the canola oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes to brown the skin.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until the salmon is just about cooked through, and the panko mixture has browned.  Remove the skillet from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Serve with the lemon wedges.