Baked Salmon with Cucumber Dill Sauce

Recipe by: Victoria Blashford-Snell, Brigitte Hafner | from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible

Cookstr

Course: Main Course

Total Time: Under 2 Hours

Skill Level: Easy

Cost: Moderate

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Equally good with salmon steaks or fillets, this light dish is quickly prepared.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Salt
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped dill or mint
Freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless salmon fillets, about 6 oz (175g) each
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. To make the sauce, toss the cucumber with ½ tsp salt in a sieve and let stand to drain for 1 hour. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Mix the cucumber, yogurt, mustard, scallion, and dill. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the salmon in an oiled shallow baking dish. Brush with oil, sprinkle with lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Bake in the oven for 8–10 minutes, until the salmon is opaque when pierced with the tip of a knife. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the salmon to dinner plates. Stir the pan juices into the cucumber sauce. Spoon the sauce over the salmon. Serve hot.

Good with buttered new potatoes and steamed asparagus.

Variation:

Salmon Pasta: To make a quick pasta salad, leftover salmon and sauce can be tossed with cooked pasta and refrigerated.