Dijon and Rosemary Crusted Salmon-Salmon has become one of the most popular fish in the world, and with good reasons. It's full flavored, without being overly oily, and is very forgiving to cook, not drying out as easily as most other fish varieties, to name just a few.
Salmon is also very versatile, lending itself to all kinds of creative treatments. This is certainly one of my favorites, Dijon and rosemary crusted, seared salmon. The mustard provides a lovely counter balance to the richness of the meat, with a little acid and bitter saltiness, while the oils from the fresh rosemary infuse the filet with an herbal, classic flavor combination.
This makes a stunning presentation, with the dramatic nature of the seared crust.
We suggest pairing it with a green vegetable side, and a rice pilaf, but of course this salmon will pair well with just about any side! We chose to serve traditionally, with a lemon garnish to squeeze over, as this Dijon and rosemary crusted salmon doesn't need any additional sauce.
If you're looking for a wine to sip with this, (and why wouldn't you?), you would want to find a drier as opposed to sweet one. An oaky California chardonnay would add a layer of sophistication, or a sauvignon blanc would cleanse the palate well, with it's bracing acidity.
This recipe is also dairy and gluten free!
Equipment
- large non stick sauté pan
- offset spatula
- rubber spatula, (to coat the salmon, a spoon, knife, or spreader will also work)
- chef knife
- cutting board
- probe thermometer
Ingredients For Dijon Rosemary Salmon
- fresh salmon, (we chose a high quality, sustainably farmed Atlantic type, but wild caught, or any fresh variety will work.)
- Dijon mustard
- fresh rosemary, (we strongly advise against dry in this recipe)
- olive oil, (either pure or an olive oil blend, extra virgin will burn and smoke at the higher temperature of the sear in this dish)
- sea salt
- black pepper
- lemon
Instructions For Dijon Rosemary Salmon
Remove the belly portion. If the salmon has this thin, fatty bit attached, it should be removed, as it will cook much faster than the rest. Side note: I personally love this little bit of "fish bacon", and will go ahead and sear it up until it's crispy as a little treat! It's not for everyone, but if you've ever had salmon skin sushi, this is the piece that is used typically.
Here you can see the filet with the belly removed. Plan on about 7 ounces for each portion, as trimming it up like this and shrinkage from cooking will result in 6 ounce portions.
Pick the rosemary leaves from the stem, and rough chop.
I love being able to post seasoning like this, mirroring our logo! You can see that we've sliced the fish into portions.
Sprinkle on the rosemary evenly, and apply a generous smear of Dijon.
Here's where the magic happens! Sear the presentation side in a nice hot pan, carefully flip over once the edges start to turn opaque, lower heat, cover and cook through to 120 degrees in the center for medium, 100 if you like your salmon a little more rare. Make sure the pan is good and hot, and be patient, make sure the fish is ready to flip before you start playing with it at all.
Dijon and Rosemary Crusted Salmon
Equipment
- 1 large non stick sauté pan
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Offset spatula
- 1 Rubber Spatula to coat salmon, a butter knife, spoon, or spreader will work also
Ingredients
- 1⅓ lb. fresh salmon
- 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, picked and chopped finely
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, pure or blend
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 slice fresh lemon for garnish
Instructions
Prepare Salmon
- If purchasing prepared salmon portions, skip this step.
- Using a sharp knife, cut away the belly flap portion of the fish.
- Cut the fillet into even sized pieces.
Seasoning
- Evenly coat each portion with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle chopped rosemary across presentation side of fish pieces
- Smear salmon with a generous coating of the mustard, also only on the presentation side.
- Heat sauté pan on stove over high heat until a drop of water dances across the surface, and evaporates in seconds.
- Add olive oil to pan, allowing it to coat the surface and heat through.
- Gently place salmon in pan, mustard side down. Allow it to sear on high for 15 seconds before reducing heat to medium high.
- Watch the edges of the fish. When they have become opaque almost to the side facing you, it's time to flip, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Work the offset spatula under the fish carefully, so as not to tear the crust formed by the mustard, and then flip over each piece.
- Reduce heat again to medium, cover the pan to allow fish to cook through., about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Using a thermometer, measure the temp at the thickest part. For medium rare, 100 to 110, medium, 120 degrees.
- Remove from pan, plate with lemon slices.
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