Slow-Baked Salmon And Citrus Butter Recipe

Salmon is one of the healthier types of fish out there, and you really should start eating more of it, if you can. That being said, it's probably best to opt for wild-caught over farmed-raised salmon. It's actually not all that difficult to prepare, either. Recipe developer Kate Shungu describes her slow-baked salmon with citrus butter as "an easy recipe that you could make on a weeknight," but one that's "special enough for a dinner party, too."

What's so special about this recipe is that, while salmon is usually baked at higher temperatures, Shungu says "This recipe cooks the salmon at 250 F, which combined with the citrus butter, makes the salmon so succulent." Not only does the fish stay tender and moist, but Shungu notes that an additional benefit of using the slow-roasting method for fish is that "It's difficult to overcook it because the heat is so low."

In addition to the salmon, you'll need some olive oil, and salt to season the fish. For the citrus butter, you'll be using softened butter, of course, plus 3 different types of citrus zest: lime, orange, and lemon.

Preheat the oven to 250 F, then put the salmon in a pan. Drizzle the fish with the olive oil, sprinkle it with ½ teaspoon of salt, then bake it for 35 to 50 minutes, or until you can easily flake it with fork. "If you prefer the salmon be cooked all the way through," Shungu tells us, "It will take about 50 minutes," but even then, "The salmon may look raw on top [as] the result of the low oven temperature." The salmon doesn't need to be cooked for that long, though, as she says it should be safe to eat after just 35 minutes in the oven.

Once the salmon starts to bake, you'll need to get started on the compound citrus butter. Mix the softened butter with the remaining salt plus the citrus zest, then put it onto a piece of plastic wrap, and roll it up into a log shape. Refrigerate your plastic-wrapped butter log until the salmon is done.

As soon as the salmon is cooked, cut the butter log into ¼-inch circles, and top it on the fish. If you're only using 1 piece of butter per filet, you'll likely have quite a bit left over, so be sure to stick it back in the refrigerator before it melts. If you prefer to use it all up, though, you can certainly do that, too. You can also garnish it with some sliced lemon.

Should you have leftover fish, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Shungu advises that you can "Reheat [the salmon] in the oven or in the microwave."