Sweet Curry Salmon

Just popping in for a quick minute to share this super easy and crazy tasty fish recipe.

I was doing some brainstorming today about this blog and my kitchen and cooking and food.  It occurred to me that so many recipes that are the most popular on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, sites, blogs, and magazines are the baking ones.  Cookies?  Everyone knows how to make cookies.  Muffins?  Sure.  Easy peasy.  Braised chicken in a bistro sauce with roasted mushrooms and egg noodles?

Say what?

And yet that chicken dish is probably the easiest out of all of them!  Main dishes, meats, seafood, and the like don’t have to be crazy or complicated.  They can take less time than a batch of cookies and yield a boost of kitchen confidence that even the best of us could use sometimes.  So.  If you are scared to make roasted fish and have no idea how to start, I implore you to be fearless and give this a try.  Simple method + simple ingredients=a recipe you vary to suit your family.

There are millions of variations with salmon and we eat it often enough that I try to change things up so that we don’t get tired of it.  We really love salmon (and tilapia and fresh walleye and shrimp and…) but anyone would be bored with the same thing over and over.  This recipe was one I glanced at in a magazine once and the only thing I ever remembered about it was that there was mayo and curry in it.  Beyond that, I was on my own.  When I tried to recreate it I was brainstorming ingredients to round out the flavor.  I am a sucker for sticky glazes but I figured it needed to be cut with an acid as well so this recipe was my end result.  It is a welcome change to the other maple-y/mustard-y/vinegar-y kind of marinades for salmon.  The level of curry can be adjusted how you like so this is a good dish to try if you aren’t sure if you are a curry person or not!  And did I mention it is super fast?  This particular day I served it with whole wheat couscous and a sad bag of carrots I found in my fridge and steamed, but it is great with buttered noodles, brown rice, or even just a big green salad with a simple vinaigrette.
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Pudding Cake & Banana Snack Cake W/Honey Cinnamon Glaze
Three Years Ago: Vegetable Couscous

Sweet Curry Salmon
If you don’t have any oranges on hand, substitute 1 T of orange marmalade for the honey and zest.

1 whole salmon fillet, or 3-4 individual fillets, 4-6 oz each
1 T mayo
1 T honey
zest of 1 orange
1-3 tsp curry powder, depending on taste
pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine the mayo, honey, zest, curry powder, and pepper flakes, if using, until smooth.  Set aside.  Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and place the fillet(s) skin side down and pat dry.  Season sparingly with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 4 minutes if they are thinner fillets, 6 minutes if they are at least an inch.  The edges should be opaque and the centers should still be dark and very rare.  Remove the pan from the oven and smear a spoonful of glaze over each fillet.  Return the pan to the oven and roast for three minutes more.  Turn the oven to broil, and let the salmon go until desired doneness.  It should be another 2-3 minutes for thick pieces, less for thinner fillets.  Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn.  Let rest for a few minutes before serving.