Recipe: Slow-Roasted Salmon

Slow-Roasted Salmon
with Cabbage, Bacon, and Dill

Makes dinner for 4

Try cooking salmon like this, and you might never cook it any other way again. The low-temperature oven really does improve the texture of the fish. The combination of salmon, cabbage, and bacon is perfect for cooler weather, making this an ideal meal for fall, but it's great anytime. For a hearty variation, add some diced, blanched potatoes to the cabbage as it finishes braising.

1 head savoy cabbage (3/4 head regular green cabbage can be substituted)
6 slices bacon, cut into 6 to 8 pieces each
1 onion, cut into small dice
8 ounces (1 cup) water, plus additional if needed
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil,
plus additional for drizzling over roasted fish
4 small knobs butter (a "knob" is about 1 teaspoon)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Halve the cabbage lengthwise, cut out the core, then remove the leaves and slice them into 2-1/2-inch squares.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Place the bacon in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Render the bacon until cooked but not crispy. You should have approximately 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) fat; if you have more, discard the excess.

Add the onion and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the cabbage and water and let simmer uncovered until the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. If all the water evaporates during cooking, add more as needed until the cabbage is very tender.

Meanwhile, place the salmon fillets on a nonstick sheet pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over each fillet. Season with salt, pepper, and half the dill. Top each fillet with a knob of butter and place in the oven. Cook 15 to 18 minutes for medium rare, 21 to 24 minutes for medium (depending on the thickness of the fish), and if you cook it any longer than that, I can't be held responsible.

When the cabbage is meltingly soft and tender, season with salt, pepper, and the rest of the dill. Keep warm while the salmon finishes cooking.

Remove the salmon from the oven and drizzle with the lemon juice.

To serve

Divide the cabbage between four dinner plates, top with the salmon fillets, and drizzle a little more olive oil over the fish.

Season with freshly ground pepper, sprinkled on and around the fish.

Garnish with additional fresh dill, if desired, and serve.

Buy the Book!

from:
It's About Time
Great Recipes For Everyday Life
by Michael Schlow
Foreword by Mario Batali
Random House
$35.00; Hardcover, 248 pages
ISBN: 1-58642-087-9
Recipe reprinted by permission.