Salmon Steaks in Herb Blankets
Submitted by chichay
Butter-baked salmon steaks served on a generous bed of fresh herbs: parsley, chives, mint, lemon thyme, and tarragon. Simple, elegant, and endlessly customizable.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThis is salmon at its most elegant and unfussy. Thick steaks baked under foil with butter and lemon, then buried under heaping handfuls of coarsely chopped fresh herbs. The herbs aren’t cooked. They go on raw, wilting just slightly from the heat of the fish and the buttery pan juices poured over them.
The suggested herb blend is generous and specific: parsley for freshness, chives for mild onion bite, mint for brightness, and small amounts of lemon thyme and tarragon for their perfumed, anise-like qualities. But the recipe encourages you to make it your own. Dill, fennel fronds, or whatever your garden offers will work.
Baking under foil keeps the salmon steaks moist and steams them gently in their own buttery juices. The fish should be just hot and tender, still slightly translucent at the very center. Overcooked salmon turns dry and chalky, and no amount of herbs will save it.
Chef Tips
- Use room temperature butter for greasing the dish thickly. Cold butter doesn’t spread evenly and leaves bare spots where the fish sticks.
- Chop the herbs coarsely, not finely. You want visible leaves and stems that create texture, not a green paste. This is a blanket, not a sauce.
- Spoon the buttery cooking juices over the herbs. Those pan juices carry lemon and salmon flavor and lightly dress the herbs like a warm vinaigrette.
Variations
- Mediterranean herbs: Use basil, oregano, and flat-leaf parsley with a handful of capers scattered on top for an Italian-leaning version.
- Asian twist: Replace the European herbs with cilantro, Thai basil, and scallions. Drizzle with a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil instead of butter.
Ingredients
Directions
Choose a gratin or baking dish which will take the steaks side by side and use some of the butter to grease it thickly.
Put the fish into it and season with a squeeze of lemon, a generous grinding of black pepper and a little salt.
Cover and set aside in a cool place until ready to cook.
To cook, simply dot the fish with the remaining butter, cover with foil and bake at 375 to 400 F (190-200 C) gas mark 5 to 6 for 20 to 25 minutes until the fish is hot and tender.
While it cooks, chop coarsely and mix together heady handfuls of aromatic herbs.
I would probably use something like 8 tablespoons parsley, 6 of chives, 4 of mint and no more than 2 teaspoons each of lemon thyme and tarragon.
You may prefer to use a little dill or fennel in place of tarragon, or to concoct some quite different cocktail of your own.
Scatter nearly half the herbs on a warm serving dish and lay the fish steaks on a bed of herbs.
Scatter more herbs over the fish, spoon on the buttery cooking juices then the remaining herbs.
Serve with wedges of lemon and steamed new potatoes.
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