Slow-Roasted Salmon

Usually when I make salmon, I use my broiler on high, which is great for two reasons: One, I'm impatient and this is really quick.  Two, the high temps allow the bit of brown sugar I rub on to caramelize and create a delicious topping.  

However, I kept seeing "slow-roasted salmon" recipes pop-up when I was surfing the internet for new recipe ideas and decided that I had to give it a try, based on all of the ravings in reviews.

Here's my take, inspired by this recipe http://norecipes.com/blog/slow-roasted-salmon-with-peanut-curry-sauce-and-snap-pea-slaw/.

The salmon is delicious all on its own, and I'll start by just giving you a recipe for that. I made a Thai Pumpkin Curry Sauce (which also could stand alone as a hearty soup) to accompany my salmon and will be posting that later.

A piece of delicious, slow-roasted Salmon

What you need:

Salmon fillet, any size (I used a big slab- probably about 2 pounds and a little over an inch thick)

Seasonings: I used a sprinkle of brown sugar, salt, pepper, and ground coriander this time.  Sometimes I also add chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder, and sub out the coriander for cumin.

Directions:

Place your salmon on a large baking sheet, skin side down.  Sprinkle your seasonings evenly over the top of it and rub gently into the flesh.  Heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.  Let the spices sink in a bit and the fish come to room temperature- about 20 minutes.  Place the fish in the oven and let cook for 45 minutes to an hour if you are using a big piece like a did.  Otherwise, adjust the time accordingly.  Try not to open the oven and peek too much, because the slow build-up of heat in the oven is what makes this work.  (I did peek once though, and every thing still worked out fine)  When it is fully cooked, the flesh should flake easily and be opaque.

Enjoy it on its own or try making a spicy curry sauce to finish it off.  

Here's the salmon served with rice, my Thai Pumpkin Curry Sauce, roasted peanuts, ad cilantro.