While we mostly eat a plant-based diet in our house, we do have fish about once a week. Mostly it’s in the form of tacos, but when it’s not it is typically a piece of salmon. I like salmon because it’s loaded with B12, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. All the protein fills me up, fights workout inflammation, and helps me recover for next time.
Plus, salmon is great fresh or frozen for a fancy weekend or a quick weeknight meal. It’s sustainable, affordable, and easily adaptable to many different methods and flavors. It’s a kitchen all-star. Did I mention the girls will eat it, too? Always a plus.
Sometimes all the cooking options can cause you to overthink things. The baked miso butter salmon from Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow is a super-simple recipe that you can prep, cook, and have on the table in about 20 minutes. The salmon is savory, moist, tender, with a touch of sweetness peeking out from all the umami.
This really should be a back pocket recipe. It’s super simple with very few ingredients. There are only a couple tricky bits to remember. The first one? You need to take out a half stick of butter in the morning to let it soften up to mix in the miso paste to make the compound butter.
If you’re worried that the salt and miso will be much for your palette, you can add a tablespoon or two of honey when mixing up the compound butter. I used a tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of miso in the butter and had no complaints about the finished fish being too salty. It will look like a lot on the fish but the butter and honey mellow out the miso.
The second tricky bit is not overcooking the salmon. I’m pretty sure all the restaurant cooked salmon has conditioned us to expect and accept firm, overcooked salmon. Don’t fall into the trap. Don’t overcook your salmon! Cook until just opaque in the center. Err on the side of undercooking. The fish will continue to cook when you remove it from the oven. Remove, cover lightly with foil and let it rest while you finish prepping the sides.
Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow: Miso Butter Salmon
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick of butter (softened)
- 2 TB white miso paste
- 1 TB honey (optional)
- 1 lb salmon
- sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat over to 425.
- Mix up compound butter by combining softened butter and miso paste in a small bowl. Optional, add one or two tablespoons of honey.
- Line baking sheet with parchment. Place fish, skin side down, on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
- Spread 2-3 TB of the compound butter on the fish.
- Bake on center rack in the oven for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness.
We served our fish tonight with farro (put a dab of the leftover miso butter on the farro) and steamed broccoli. Tastes so good you’ll barely realize it’s healthy.
