Baked salmon with garlic lime chutney

This baked salmon recipe that I am sharing today is remarkable for several reasons. It uses a handful of ingredients, mostly things that are already available in the pantry. It is super easy and takes less than 30 minutes to make. It is super healthy AND tasty while being tremendously filling. And it is great for entertaining too!

We love salmon in this family. So, we have tried making them a 100 different ways (almost literally). Following are the rules of thumb for full-proof salmon cooking, in my experience:
1.Do not try to speed up the thawing process by defrosting it in the microwave, or running it under hot water. Just let the salmon sit in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours (depending on the thickness).
2.Pat the filets completely dry after rinsing.
3.When cooking a large piece of filet with a thinner tail end, fold the tail end under to make the filet even in thickness. This will help the filet cook evenly.
4. Drizzle some oil on the filet just before baking. This helps to keep the fish moist.
5. Always cook with the skin on, and skin side down. The skin easily peels off after cooking.
6. Always cook salmon at a low temperature. Bake thick pieces of salmon at 300°F for 32-35 minutes . The result is always perfect: barely opaque in the center.  For faster cooking, 13 minutes at 350°F is recommended.

 Baked Salmon with garlic lime chutney recipe

Level: easy    Prep time: 10 mins    Cook time:  30-35 mins    Total time: 40-45 mins    Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the salmon

2 1/2 lb whole filet of salmon
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp fried thyme
1/4 tsp dried chives
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
salt to taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 lime, thinly sliced
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper big enough to wrap the salmon. Pat dry the filet of salmon and place on the tray.
Mix all the spices and seasonings and rub the salmon with the spice mix.
Drizzle oil, and place the lime slices on the filet. 
Bring the edges of the parchment paper together and seal tightly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (depending on the thickness), until it is barely opaque in the center.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Peel off the skin and cut into 6 pieces.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with steamed asparagus and garlic lime chutney.

For the chutney

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
2 tbsp fat free mayonnaise
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp lime zest
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 tbsp water

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and drizzle over the salmon pieces. Also goes great with the steamed asparagus and other veggies. The sauce can be make ahead and stored for 2-3 days. 

Steamed asparagus recipe

Instructions:

Set up a steamer, fill the bottom with an inch of water and bring to a simmer. While the steamer gets ready, wash the asparagus and peel, starting about 2-inch down from the tip of the stalk, unless they are thin with soft skin. Cut the asparagus to fit into your steamer basket. Cover and steam until the asparagus are bright green and tender, about 6 to 8 minutes for thick asparagus and 4 to 5 minutes for thin asparagus. Remove from the steamer and season with salt and pepper.