We love salmon in our house and eat it once a week. Besides being a healthy choice for dinner it is quick to prepare. Although the kids will eat theirs plain, I love using unusual spices and ingredients to dress up every day dinners. This recipe is a perfect example. Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend, made of sesame seeds, thyme, sumac, and sometimes caraway or oregano. If you buy pre made Za’atar from penzeys.com, you will have this recipe done in a flash. Make sure to slow roast the salmon at 300 or 320F —and you could even roast it on a lower setting, it would just take longer to cook. When the fish is slow roasted, it is cooked the entire way through. Slow roasting the salmon creates a flavorful, succulent and tender fish, even though it is ‘well done’. I first discovered slow roasted salmon out of a Chez Panisse cookbook years ago and it has become my favorite way to prepare salmon.
Slow Roasted Salmon with Za’atar Spices
2 Tablespoon za’atar (available at penzeys.com)
2 tsp. sumac or lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
4 salmon filets, 6-8oz each
Pre-heat the oven to the lowest possible setting. Combine the za’atar, sumac and fresh thyme in a small bowl. Generously salt and pepper the salmon filets, and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Rub the salmon filets with the spice mixture and cook in the oven for 25-35 minutes, depending on the thickness of your filets. *For the kids, tail pieces naturally have no bones.
And that’s it. Enjoy!
Guest Writer – Phoebe Schilla
Phoebe dreamed of going to cooking school as a young child, and when she was 19, she was given the opportunity to study at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. Needless to say she jumped at the chance and hasn’t looked back since. After her return from France she continued her education working in restaurants, and eventually found herself back in Culinary School, this time at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. She spent two years there, and graduated with an AOS degree in the culinary arts.
The Cordon Bleu and the CIA couldn’t be more different. The two educational styles complemented each other and gave her a well rounded education. As a result, she knows a lot of minutiae about the culinary arts and feels comfortable cooking just about anything. There is nothing that pleases her more than to make something beautiful and fragrant to eat. This is what she was meant to do, and she loves sharing her cooking skills and knowledge with others.
More information and recipes can be found on Phoebe’s website, Studio of Good Living!