Salmon Chanted Evening

Salmon again, just can't get enough.

This is a new way: heat oven to 425º and place salmon fillets skin side down in an oven dish. I use a smallish 8" one, which I completely fill with salmon pieces. Salt and fresh-ground pepper the fish. Slice a lemon paper-thin, and arrange the lemon slices, overlapping slightly, over the fish. When the oven is hot, pop the dish in the oven and bake for 12 minutes per inch of thickness. There's just enough time to roast some potatoes if you have a convection oven, as I suddenly do: before you start the fish, slice two or three potatoes lengthwise into eighths, toss with a little olive oil and lay them out on a foil-covered cookie sheet (unless you are against foil, in which case just use the cookie sheet but be prepared to work at the cleaning later), salt and fresh-ground pepper generously, and slide the sheet onto the top shelf of the oven to cook while you get the salmon ready. If your oven is non-convection, or as we call it, Ordinary, then the potatoes will need about 40 minutes. You can turn them half way through but you don't really need to.

The salmon comes out tender and gently lemon-spiked. The potatoes are crisp and slightly wicked. You could steam some green beans or broccoli while the salmon and potatoes are cooking, or just make a big green salad. Equal parts lemon juice and olive oil shaken together in a jar (with a bit of salt and a very small smidge of sugar) make a good dressing.

We feel healthy and holy after this dinner, but it is as good as fish and chips.