Panko-Crusted Salmon - Crunchy Goodness

You may be catching on, if you are a regular reader, that our family really likes salmon.  Our picky eater Will, does not protest having fish if I am making salmon.  I too like salmon, and enjoy finding new and different ways to prepare it.   The other day I purchased some wild Atlantic salmon from our local market, but wasn't sure what I was going to do with it.  After thumbing through several cookbooks, I landed on the Barefoot Contessa's Panko-Crusted Salmon from her cookbook How Easy is That?  (Another great cookbook, by the way, if you don't already have it.)

When I reviewed the recipe, I loved the combination of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and Dijon mustard. How could this with a little lemon zest be a bad thing?  I also happened to have all the ingredients on hand.  This recipe also provided a great opportunity to use my cast iron skillet that I was fortunate enough to have passed down from my grandmother Gogo.  Of late, it is used for cornbread, but not a lot else.  Now that I reflect on that fact, I need to change that.

Back to the salmon.   The end result was a crunchy and delicious piece of fish.   Browning the skin in the skillet before baking created an interesting contrast to the crunch of the panko on top.  I personally like the skin on baked or grilled salmon if crispy, but this is not always for everyone.  When I make this next time, I will reduce some of the cooking time.  My fillets were slightly more cooked than I prefer.  I'd keep the browning of the skin to 3 minutes, and start checking the salmon in the oven after 4 minutes.

Definitely recommend giving this a try the next time you are thinking of what to do with salmon.  We enjoyed ours with a baked sweet potato and sauteed zucchini and yellow squash.  It was an easy week night meal.

A little bit of crispy skin is peeking out