Oven-Roasted Salmon--America’s Test Kitchen

 
To ensure uniform pieces of fish that cook at the same rate, buy a whole center-cut fillet and cut it into 4 pieces. If your knife is not sharp enough to easily cut through the skin, try a serrated knife. It is important to keep the skin on during cooking; remove it afterward if you choose not to serve it.



1 skin-on salmon fillet (1 3/4 to 2 pounds), about 1 1/2 inches at thickest part

2 teaspoons olive oil

Garlic Salt

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Use sharp knife to remove any whitish fat from belly of fillet and cut into 4 equal pieces.

Make 4 or 5 shallow slashes about an inch apart along skin side of each piece, being careful not to cut into flesh.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Rub fillets evenly with oil and season liberally with garlic salt.

Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees and remove baking sheet. Carefully place salmon skin-side down on baking sheet.

Roast until centers of thickest part of fillets are still translucent when cut into with paring knife or instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of fillets registers 125 degrees, about 9 to 13 minutes.