Salmon only needs a touch of this or that bitter, salty, or savory ingredient to really ignite all its delicious flavors. And Dijon mustard is one of them that does all three.
I learned a little French in cooking school. Enough to converse with an almost five-year-old and give them a little mini-French lesson. You know, something they can go back home after you’re finished babysitting and the mom wants to hire you as a full-time governess position, like in all the best period dramas. So I thought…
But that would require me to be smarter than the kid, though.
The other day, while babysitting and swimming with Ms. Harper, she asked me what I was fixing them for dinner that evening and I replied in French, “Saumon de Dijon, pommes de terre deux fois cuites.” (I was really getting with the showing off now, and boy, did I pay for it), “asperges gratinées au fromage,” and, momentarily spacing the word for carrot, tacked on, “and a BIG CARROT CAKE thingy.”
I was just trying to do my little part… you know, be that light that shines in the world, to expose the young to the concept that, yes, there are other languages and all…
Just as I was explaining that French is one of our most beautiful languages, “La Francais, Mademoiselle Harper, est une belle langue… just like Harper est une belle fille.”
“What did you call me?!?” she retorts, with that note of I’m telling in it.
I called you a “beautiful girl.” In French.
“No,” she says. “And I quote,” getting a bit miffy with me, “you said that I’m a ‘bell filled’ and just what is THAT supposed to mean?”
“I’ll repeat,” I said defensively, “I said ‘belle fille,’ which means ‘beautiful girl’ in French.”
“You didn’t say beautiful; you said bell.”
“Belle means beautiful.”
“Then how do you say a beautiful bell?”
“I suddenly forgot … maybe a belle bell?”
“This is ba-nanas,” she decided and proceeded to squeal and then do a cannonball on me. Right on a very dry me, who was standing in the shallow water part, and realizing I needed to get a book titled The Idiot’s Guide to Babysitting—fast.
“I’m going home now,” I said, “I’m suddenly very tired.”
“You are home, silly,” she said.
Deciding it was time to drop all talk of languages as if they were dead languages, I jumped near her, giving her and her water wings a big wave to bob around on for a moment, “Well, translate this,” I said, “‘KER-PLOOM-SIES!” And the crowd went wild as Ms. Harper got waterbombed. “… the crowd goes wild as a big wave of water goes over Harper’s head, cause she’s a pain in the derriere for real!”
“Ms. Harper, did anyone ever tell you you can be a pain in la derriere.”
Big splashes and giggles ensue as the scene fades to bright white sunlight.
Why You and Your Family Will Love This Easy, Succulent Dish
Now, salmon is one of our most naturally flavorful fishes, with its deep, pink flesh that tastes almost sweet, even when eaten raw in sushi or on a sashimi platter. So, it doesn’t take a lot to make the fish taste good.
It already tastes good. So, we don’t need a whole lot of stuff on it—just some carefully selected ingredients that really play nicely against salmon.
So, the bold, tangy, savory, acidic taste of Dijon does nicely because if one’s goal is to hit a large number of taste buds, this mustard does it, rounding out our taste experience of this salmon nicely and hitting every taste bud as it does so.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You can refrigerate these in an airtight container for four days tops before things get a bit fishy. Better yet, make two portions of this and freeze one. You can do this up to four months. Reheat in an oven at 275F until heated through and serve.
Can I substitute a different mustard? My kids don’t care for dijon.
If your kids don’t care for Dijon mustard, try taming down its bitterness with a bit of mayonnaise. Mayonnaise on baked fish just infuses it with a lovely kind of sauce that tastes delicious anyway.
Can You Air Fry Baked Salmon Instead?
Sure. Simply line your air fryer basket with parchment paper coated with olive oil. Then, brush on the Dijon sauce, reserving some for more sauce on the side. Air fry for 8 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through. You might have to work in batches depending on the air fryer size.
Serving Suggestions
Dinner for Harper en familie included luscious Dijon salmon, stretchy, gooey Cheesy Asparagus (so all the kids ate their veggies that night), Twice Baked Potatoes, and this Carrot Cake Trifle, which was a big, big hit at this soiree.
Dijon Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets 6 ounces each
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, combine Dijon mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Place salmon fillets on a greased baking sheet.
- Spread the Dijon mixture evenly over the top of each salmon fillet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
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