Simple Oven-Roasted Salmon

My children are salmon fanatics. I don't often prepare it at home, however, because it is difficult in our area to get good-quality, fresh salmon. We usually have to drive over an hour to visit a store that sells salmon worth buying. So, when I do buy it, they thoroughly enjoy it. I prefer to oven-roast it. This recipe is so incredibly simple and comes out perfectly every single time.

There really are only a handful of simple ingredients needed to prepare this. Of course, you can embellish this recipe a bit by using any spices or herbs of your choosing. It's really the method that's worth taking note of here. I keep things simple by utilizing only butter, salt, pepper and a fresh garnish. Your dinner guests will go nuts for this. Leftovers are fabulous atop a salad the next day, too.

Serves 4.

Smoked Salmon Spread

My eleven-year old son, Zayne, has an adventurous palette and loves to try new foods. As a huge fan of all fish - especially salmon - he begged at the grocery store this week to buy a small package of smoked salmon as we passed the fish counter. When I told him that we had simply ran in to pick up a couple of items, he offered up purchasing the salmon with his own money that he had brought along.  Since he is usually pretty careful with his spending, I knew he meant business and must have had a strong desire to bring home the fish. So, I obliged and allowed him to make the purchase. He was so anxious to get the salmon home and try it on some crackers with just a little spritz of lemon. To my surprise, he declared that he really didn't care for it due to the smoky flavor. I, on the other hand, adore smoked salmon and jumped at the opportunity to reimburse him for the fish. Doing so meant that I could make one of my favorite dips!

 

This is a Martha Stewart-inspired recipe that I've adapted to my liking.  If you're wondering where to find smoked salmon or about the cost, I believe most grocery stores carry it these days in their refrigerated fish section.  A four-ounce portion (the amount needed for this recipe) runs around $5 dollars in the supermarkets here in Michigan.

This is a great dip/spread for parties or to nibble on while catching up on some DVR recordings late one night while the rest of the family is in bed (although I wouldn't know anything about that).