Parsley, Panko, Lemon & Mustard Crusted Salmon

Ingredients:
1 salmon filet – I think mine was about 6oz, not sure though
1/3 cup of panko bread crumbs
Hunk of parsley
Zest of about a half of a small lemon
Your favorite good mustard (I used Bavarian Beer Mustard – I’m actually almost out and restocking when they are here!! The people who sell it are at eastern market, NOM)
Salt, pepper, EVOO

Preheat oven to 425 F. Put an oven safe pan on the stove over medium high heat. Let this baby heat up while you do the following –

In a small bowl mix together the pank, chopped parsley, lemon zest, salt & pepper. Drizzle with EVOO until the mixture because slightly moist, basically you want to be able to pick it up and not have it totally fall apart on you.

Next take your beautiful piece of salmon – go wild if you can, so much better than farm raised AND the color is to fricken die for, see:

Soo prettty! Now to make it even prettier… Take your mustard – I would suggest a dijon or yummy whole grain, just anything but yellow mustard! Be adventurous!!!!

Now we need to take all of that lovely panko mixture and pile it on top. The mustard will help the crust stick to the fish. Don’t be shy, really pile the goods on. It’s delicious so get as much as you can on. You will not be disappointed I promise.

In that pan we have been keeping hot on the stove put a bit of oil in it, vegetable is fine or you can to EVOO. I did EVOO but next time will probably do vegetable because it wasn’t the taste I was looking for, it was the non stick I wanted. Add in the salmon with all the crusty glory into the oiled pan. Cook for about 3 – 4 minutes, the skin will get nice and crispy. Note – I get weird about fish skin so either A) you can eat it if you want B) since its crispy it pulls away from the fish so you can totally avoid it if you want.

Now transfer the pan into the hot oven and let cook for 5 – 7 minutes. This particular fishy I took out after 6. Once it is out of the oven cover with tinfoil and let rest for 5 – 10 minutes. I served this with Minute Brown Rice so now would be the time to go ahead and make your side, if you are cool and can make real rice, kudos, do your thang. I didn’t plan to far ahead with the rice so I just cooked it plain and topped with some pesto to add some flavor.