Roasted salmon

This is so quick. Season a fillet of salmon (five minutes tops). Put it in the oven (twelve minutes tops). While it's cooking make a sauce, a vegetable, a starter, a dessert, or a phone call. And it comes out really moist and tender.

This is my favorite entree for a big buffet or pot luck. It's possible to make twice or three times this amount in almost the same time. People just dig in.

There are a thousand seasonings and sauce possible, but here's my standard.

Serves 4-6 as a main course, 10-12 as a starter or buffet item.

• 1 fillet of salmon (1.5 to 1.75 pounds)
• 1-2 cloves garlic
  
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon herbs de province
• Cajun seasoning (or ground cayenne)
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• [optional: capers and sliced lemon]
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350 (375 for 1.75 pounds or larger)
   
2. Dust a cookie sheet with sea salt and place the fish on it skin side down.
   
3. Using a garlic press, crush the garlic onto the fish and rub it in (hands are good here)
4. Using a pastry brush, coat the fish with mustard.
5. Dust with herbs and seasonings.
   
6. Bake for 12 minutes.
7. Sauce (see below) or simply garnish with capers and lemon slices

I like a a warm vinaigrette made by combining 1-2 cloves minced garlic with 4 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice (salt and pepper), then heating until it the garlic is fragrant (don't burn it!). But there are an infinite number of sauces possible.

with tapenade
with aioli (right)
olive oil, garlic, and lemon

with asparagus
with green beans
with zucchini sliced thinly (right)
with shaved Brussels sprouts (right)