Baked Salmon with Roasted Peppers

Hot on the heels of my "Fishing Fair" post, here's a recipe using a fish that is readily available from sustainable fisheries.  Using this guide from the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, it's easy to look up the fish you're interested in and find out what the best choices are.  For example, here's the salmon info.

 

SEAFOOD	RATING	MARKET NAMES	WHERE CAUGHT	HOW CAUGHT
Salmon		Coho, Sockeye, King, Pink, Red, Sake	Alaska	Wild-caught
Salmon		Coho, Silver Salmon	U.S.	Farmed in Tank Systems
Salmon		Coho, Sockeye, King, Pink, Red, Sake	Washington	Wild-caught
Salmon		Farmed Salmon, Atlantic Salmon, Sake	Worldwide	Farmed
Salmon Roe		Ikura, Roe	Alaska	Wild-caught

They also have an app you can download, which will come in handy when dining out or shopping at fish markets.  My favorite fishmonger is Kate's Fish.  They operate a stand at the West Side Market in Cleveland.  I buy from them 3-4 times a month, and I'm always happy with my purchases.  To me, the mark of a good fish market (besides cleanliness, fresh product, good prices, and decent service) is their willingness to talk to you about the food.  Each item is displayed in the glass with a card next to it telling you what it is, where it's from, and whether it has been frozen already.  I like to ask questions, and they are always willing to give me advice on storage and preparation, plus more information on how things were caught and transported.

On to the recipe!  This meal is simple to put together, with delicious flavors that allow the salmon to shine.  I opted to serve it alongside rice - I took all the little bags of leftover rice in my pantry (all long grain varieties) and cooked them all together.  An interesting experiment, it also turned out pretty delicious. 

Baked Salmon with Roasted Peppers

3 skin-on salmon fillets, 1/2 lb. each
olive oil
salt & pepper
Old Bay or other seafood seasoning of your choice
3 Bell peppers - I chose one each of red, yellow, and green


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Wash, halve, and core the peppers.  Slice them into strips.  Lay them on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Put on the bottom rack of the oven.

On a smaller pan, lay out the salmon fillets.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.  I sprinkled on enough Old Bay to give a light dusting.  Put the salmon on the top rack of the oven.  Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on thickness.  The best way (for me) to tell when salmon is done is to break a corner off with a fork.  If it's flaky but moist, it's perfect.

Remove the salmon from the oven and tent with foil.  Move the peppers to the top rack and increase the oven heat to 400 degrees.  Roast another 5-10 minutes, or until the edges start to blacken and peppers are softened but not limp.