Baked Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce (Recipe 45 of 150)

I like salmon. And there are so many ways to cook salmon. But I am a salmon purest. I prefer my salmon simply baked with some S&P and maybe a little lemon. Every know and then, though, I like to break out of my comfort zone and get "crazy" with the salmon.

Ok ok. This recipe is not that crazy. It is however, simple and delicious. 

The dill sauce was not my favorite. It lacked flavor to me. And maybe that was the plan. Maybe the salmon was to be the star. Still, I had to adjust the dill sauce. I added about a T of dill pickle juice and some salt and pepper. That did the trick. Still I was glad I didn't pour it over my salmon. I just did the fork dip into the sauce and stabbed a piece of salmon. It was perfect. 

Baked Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Recipe from Thekitchn.com

Serves 4

2 cloves garlic

4 (6-ounce) skin on or skinless salmon fillets

1 medium lemon

2 T olive oil

3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 small bunch fresh dill

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Meanwhile, marinate the salmon and make the sauce.

Mince 2 garlic cloves and place in a baking dish large enough to fit the 4 salmon fillets in one layer with a bit of room in between each piece. Halve 1 medium lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, and whisk with a fork to combine. Add 4 salmon fillets, turning them over gently a few times to evenly coat in the lemon-garlic mixture. Arrange in a single layer skin-side up if there is skin. Cover and refrigerate.

Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon half into a small bowl. Set aside a few fresh dill sprigs for garnish if desired, then finely chop more dill until you have 2 tablespoons. Add the chopped dill, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl and whisk to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When the oven is ready, uncover the salmon and roast until cooked through and easily flaked, 8 to 12 minutes. An instant-read thermometer into the middle of the thickest fillet should register 120°F to 130°F for medium-rare, or 135°F to 145°F if you prefer it more well-done. Serve topped with the creamy dill sauce. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.