Published March 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.
For an oven-roasted salmon recipe that would give us a nicely browned exterior and a silky, moist interior, we developed a hybrid roasting method, preheating the oven to 500 degrees but then turning down the heat to 275 just before placing the fish in the oven. The initial blast of high heat firmed the exterior and rendered some excess fat. The fish gently cooked in the oven and stayed moist as the temperature slowly dropped. Our oven-roasted salmon recipe was complete when we added an easy relish whose acidity and flavors balanced the richness of the fish.
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. To serve, top with any of the related relishes.
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