Dr. Paul Kasunich is a professor at Gwynedd Mercy University School of Education in Philadelphia, where he provides doctoral and master’s level instruction in the Educational Leadership program. Outside of his professional life, Dr. Paul Kasunich enjoys learning new cooking techniques.
One of the most simple and delicious ways to prepare salmon is by roasting it in the oven. Even in its simplicity, however, baking the salmon requires a degree of finesse and understanding in order to get the fish just right. Below are techniques from thekitchn.com and tablespoon.com.
The first thing to do is preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then line a 9” x 13” baking pan with aluminum foil. Next, coat the foil with some melted butter to keep the fish from sticking to the pan. After that, rinse the salmon fillets under cool water, pat them dry with a paper towel, and then sprinkle salt and pepper according to taste.
If the salmon is frozen, it’s important to thaw out the fish before baking. If not, the outside will likely get overcooked in trying to get the middle of the fillet to the correct temperature. Either set the salmon out to thaw the night before, place it in a bath of cool water, or defrost it in the microwave before putting it in the oven.
The typical baking time is 4 to 6 minutes for every half-inch of thickness. That means a one-inch thick fillet should take around 8 to 12 minutes. When the salmon flakes beneath the fork and has an opaque look to it, that’s when it is finished and ready to eat.
