I’ve been a fish eater since I was a kid. I believe in a previous post, I mentioned that my mom would take my brother and I to Burger Chef. I always ordered the fish sandwich and ditched the bread. Still today, fish is my favorite meat. Salmon has become my all-time favorite for many reasons. You can prepare it so many ways. What amazes my friends is the way I prepare my salmon, it’s never fishy smelling or fishy tasting. If I had the secret, I wouldn’t tell you because I truly do not know why mine is the best.

Let’s get back to my kitchen, I have salmon to prepare for you! This is really a wonderful dish for the whole family. Even those salmon skeptics. Going to walk you through this recipe, so sit back and enjoy…

Take a pyrex dish, depending on how many salmon you are going to prepare will determine the size of your dish. I prepared to salmon filets so all I needed was the square pyrex. The rectangle size will fit four filets or about six smaller filets. Place your filets in the dish. This time around I used a Ravenswood Chardonnay. Of course my wine was cold because I wanted to have a little taste. Pour your wine into the dish about half way up the filets. Be sure you don’t trap any air around the filets as you want your wine to fill around the fish. When it comes to cooking with Chardonnay, be sure it isn’t a dry chardonnay. I look for one that has a citrus and buttery flavor overtones. For example, I do not use a Hess Chardonnay because it dries out the salmon. I’ve used, Sterling, Chateau Ste Michelle, Francis Coppola Chardonnay’s to cook with, so don’t be real cheap when it comes to your Chardonnay. I will always remember Rachel Ray saying, always get a good one to cook with in the kitchen! And it’s true!

Take take two fresh limes and cut them in half. I cut my long ways, now squeeze them over the salmon and then place them in the corners of your dish. Cut up a few fresh cloves of garlic and rosemary. With this recipe, use fresh herbs! Fresh always makes a difference! Now take some cayenne pepper and sprinkle across the salmon. Be easy with it as cayenne is hot and you don’t want to over power your salmon with an over abundance of cayenne. It generates a nice heat but to much causes you to grab your glass of water too many times. After a nice coloring of cayenne, place your fresh cut garlic over the top then follow it with the rosemary. Rosemary is such a wonderful herb to use. Cut it up and it releases even more aroma! Add a little bit of course black pepper and a pinch and I mean a pinch of kosher salt. Take out your butter and cut a couple of pats and place it around the salmon. You can even place it on top of the filet if you like. I usually do that myself.

Now cover your dish with aluminum foil. Be sure to pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Set your timer for 20-22 minutes. After the buzzer has gone off, remove the foil and bake for another 8 minutes. This browns the top just enough.

While the salmon is baking, prepare your vegetables or any other side dish you plan on having. Tonight I decided to have broccoli again. After having it at Ziggy’s, I decided I wanted it again. I cut up the broccoli and place it into pan with water. I bring it to a slow boil ( I don’t have a steamer yet!), with fresh cut garlic and one squeeze lime. Depending on how you like your broccoli will depend on how long you keep cooking it!

As in a previous post, I mentioned that I had paired this meal with a Prosecco Extra Dry by Carpene Malvolti.I normally have a nice Chardonnay with my salmon but tonight I wanted something different.This Prosecco was the perfect compliment to a such a wonderful meal.

Salmon is very easy to prepare. So many things you can do with it. Baked it, grill it, pan fry it…the sky is the limit! It is the one fish that my two teenage sons will eat. They will eat it any way I prepare it. There is never an argument when I mention salmon. They’ll ask me how they want it prepared! Now isn’t that cool? A 12 and 15 yr old offering suggestions in Dad’s kitchen? You see, as I’ve always said…it’s not really what your prepare in the kitchen. It’s who you are preparing it for, that matters the most.

Family and Fish…Enjoy!