Did you know that Salmon start their lives in fresh water streams and rivers? They then swim many (even hundreds) of miles out to the ocean to spend anywhere from one to seven years at sea, then swim all the way back to their birth place to reproduce. It’s such an amazing fish. I grew up in Oroville, CA, and one of the best things about Oroville is that they have a huge fish hatchery. One of my favorite memories is watching the massive salmon through the windows in the fish ladder (a man-made structure that allows migrating fish to move upstream past artificial and natural barriers in the river) which directs the salmon into the hatchery on the Feather River. You could also see them jumping out of the water up the falls–truly an amazing sight. Now that I have kids of my own, I take them there to enjoy watching the salmon every year.
It may surprise you to learn that salmon is the second-most consumed seafood in America, being beat out only by shrimp. I get that, though…shrimp is amazing, as well. But today, I’m focusing on salmon. It’s a delicious fish that can be prepared in so many ways. The possibilities are endless–Asian, Italian, lemon pepper, or just about any other way you can imagine. My whole family loves salmon, even my kiddos, but even they have their own preferences on how it’s prepared. Luckily, salmon is easy to prepare, no matter which flavors you select.
So like I said, I’ve always liked salmon, but it wasn’t something I bought and prepared that regularly as an adult. However, one day I was in Costco (my favorite store ever!) and I saw that they had Salmon Milanese (salmon with pesto butter) in the “ready to bake” section. I was a little wary at first, but decided to give it a try and was very pleasantly surprised. It was one of the best preparations of salmon that I’ve had. So of course, being the chef that I am, I decided to give my own Salmon Milanese a try. After searching for recipes online, I used pieces of several recipes I found and then added my own flare. I have to say, it is the best salmon dish I’ve ever had! You can make it with fresh or frozen salmon, but I usually buy the Atlantic salmon from the freezer section at Costco as it come in perfectly-sized fillet portions and can be kept on hand in the freezer until you’re ready for your next salmon dinner. We let the fillets thaw for a while and, while they are thawing, I get the butter ready, as that’s a main component of what makes this dish so great. I typically make a batch of the butter (3 times the recipe below the blog) that is enough for several meals, use what I need for the present dinner, then stick the container in the fridge for the next time. Having the butter already prepared means that the next time you make Salmon Milanese, it’s literally a 20-minute meal.
To get the butter ready, let three cubes sit out on the counter to come up to room temperature (or you can microwave for 30 seconds to soften). Next, it’s time to collect your fresh herbs. You’ll need a handful of fresh basil, about 3/4 cup or so, and about 6 sprigs of fresh dill. Place the butter, fresh herbs, and the appropriate amount of white pepper, garlic powder, and some white wine for the batch size in a container and blend until mixed thoroughly. I prefer to use an immersion blender for the mixing and then store the mixed butter in that same container in the fridge—less mess, less dishes to wash! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, remove the salmon from the packaging and place in a baking dish, season with Sylva’s Kitchen Fault Line seasoning, place a sprig of dill on the salmon, and top with a small scoop of the prepared butter (about a tablespoon). Bake for 20 minutes, then serve with your favorite side dishes. I like to serve it with rice pilaf and sautéed zucchini. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!
