Roasted Salmon Fillets With A Crusted Pecorino And Pesto Topping Food

PESTO CRUSTED SALMON

Steps:

• Lightly oil a baking pan large enough to accommodate the fish. Place salmon in pan skin side down. Run finger over flesh to make sure all bones have been removed. Use pliers to pull out any that remain. Squeeze juice of one lemon and white wine over fish. Lightly salt the salmon. Marinate 15 minutes.
• Preheat broiler.
• Coat the top side of the fish with thick layer of pesto. It should be between an 1/8th to a 1/4 of an inch thick, and cover the surface of the fish.
• Place fish under the broiler. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until fish flakes and flesh is opaque. Pesto should have formed a heavily browned or even blackened crust.
• Remove from the oven, and set aside for a few minutes. Slice remaining lemon half into thin slices. Serve with lemon slices or arrange on the whole flank for presentation.
• notes: the size of the salmon can be much bigger or smaller depending on your party size without having to adjust the recipe. I make my pesto a day ahead so I have very little to do the day of the dinner party. I serve it with rice Recipe #191120. Leftovers are great cold on a salad with a light vinaigrette dressing.

PESTO-CRUSTED SALMON FILLET WITH CITRUS-SOY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a 12-inch non-stick saute pan over a high flame. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Add a small amount of oil to the pan and sear both sides of the salmon quickly, just a few seconds on each side, leaving the fish very rare. Remove the pan from the heat, and place the fish on a work surface. Wipe out the pan and reserve for later use.
• Spread a 1/4-inch layer of pesto evenly over 1 side of the fillet. Sprinkle the top of the pesto with a light, thin dusting of fresh bread crumbs. Carefully invert each fillet into the pan and place it over a medium flame. Toast the bread coating, adding tiny bits of butter to the pan that will melt into the salmon underneath. Once the bread is toasted (after about 1 minute), place the pan in the oven for about 3 minutes, just to heat the fish through.
• To serve, mound 1/6 of the spinach in the center of a warm dinner plate. Invert 1 salmon fillet onto the spinach, crust-side up, and ladle citrus soy sauce around the sides. Place 1 orange segment on top of 1 grapefruit segment in the sauce at 3 different points on the plate.
• In the bowl of a food processor place, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the basil and process again. With the motor running, add the oil in a stream slowly, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add bread crumbs a little at a time, just enough to make pesto spreadable. Process and repeat until the pesto is the right consistency. Remove from food processor and set aside until ready to use.
• In a non-reactive saucepan, saute the ginger in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute longer. Deglaze the pan with white wine, champagne vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and all 3 fruit juices. Reduce the liquid volume down to 1 cup. Add the chicken stock, bring it to a boil, and cook another 3 minutes. Strain, pushing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible, and place the liquid into a blender or food processor. With the motor running on low, add the remaining olive oil in a slow stream until all the oil is incorporated.
• Wash spinach thoroughly and drain, leaving some of the water clinging to the leaves. In a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat, saute the spinach in a small amount of olive oil until it is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain excess moisture, season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
• Peel potatoes and slice thin in a criss-cross cut on the zig-zag part of the mandolin. Lay out the slices on a baking sheet. Brush with clarified butter and bake until crisp, about 12 minutes.

PANKO-CRUSTED SALMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.
• Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet. The mustard will help the panko adhere.
• Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.
• Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

ROASTED SALMON FILLETS WITH A CRUSTED PECORINO AND PESTO TOPPING

Steps:

• Begin by trimming the fillets if needed, and run your hand over the surface of the fish to check that there aren't any stray bones lurking. Now place the fish on the prepared baking tray and give each one a good squeeze of lemon juice and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Next, give the pesto a good stir and measure 2 tablespoons into a small bowl, mix one-third of the breadcrumbs with it to form a paste and spread this over both fish fillets. Then, mix half the cheese with the remaining breadcrumbs and scatter this over the pesto, then finish off with the remaining cheese. Now place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 10 minutes, by which time the top should be golden brown and crispy and the salmon just cooked and moist. Serve with steamed new potatoes.

SALMON CRUSTED PISTACHIO PESTO

Steps:

• Spread pesto on top of salmon fillet skin side down.
• roast at 450 degrees on parchment paper for about 10-15 minutes begins to flake when pressed with a fork.

PESTO CRUSTED ROAST SALMON

Steps:

• To make the crust: Combine all ingredients except the olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor.
• With the processor running, slowly pour in the oil and process until incorporated.
• Season with salt and pepper if desired.
• To prepare the salmon: Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Spread the pesto crust 1/8-inch thick on the salmon fillets.
• In a dry nonstick ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil and sear the salmon, crust-side down.
• Turn the fillets over and place in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes, until cooked through.

SALMON FILLETS WITH PESTO AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Take four salmon fillets (do NOT use salmon steaks!) of about 6-7 oz. each and put them on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam or brushed with olive oil to prevent sticking.
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon of Butoni pesto (in the grocery store refrigerated section) onto the top of each filet and spread evenly.
• Take the pistachios (shell the nuts, put in a baggie and whack with the side of a meat tenderizer/pounder) and cover the pesto with them. The amounts of pesto and pistachios depend on the size of the fillets, so use your judgment here.
• Bake for about 20-22 minutes until done.
• Serve immediately. (I serve it with roasted baby red potatoes and asparagus.).

PESTO SALMON

Steps:

• Lightly coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
• Place each salmon fillet in the baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.
• Apply freshly ground pepper to taste over each fillet.
• Gently spread pesto sauce over each fillet.
• Sprinkle parmesean cheese over each fillet.
• Optional: Place plum tomatoes slices on each fillet and sprinkle with a bit of additional parmesean cheese.
• Bake prepared salmon fillets in a 350 oven for approximately 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.

PESTO CRUSTED TILAPIA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
• Place fish fillets on baking sheet and sprinkle with black pepper. No salt is needed as pesto and parmesan cheese are both pretty salty.
• In a small bowl, combine pesto, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese (hands or a fork will do).
• Divide the topping evenly over the fish fillets, spreading with your fingers and pressing into the fish.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, then switch to broil to crisp up the crust for the last 2-5 minutes.
• If the middle of the fillet flakes with a fork and is completely opaque, it's time to dig in!
• Serve with steamed broccoli and brown rice pilaf for a healthy dinner.