Paula Wolfert’s Oven-Steamed Salmon
Cooking salmon in a very low oven with a pot of steaming hot water creates a perfectly medium-rare filet every time. I discovered this “oven-steaming” method of cooking salmon in the book Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert’s Renegade Life by Emily Kaiser Thelin. Paula Wolfert is the author of many cookbooks about Mediterranean food. She is the woman who brought Mediterranean food to America, translating the recipes for home cooks. Thelin’s book tells the story of Wolfert’s incredible life, her diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, and how she is combatting its progression to Alzheimer’s with food and lifestyle changes.
Oven-steam salmon low and slow
Low and slow is the way to go when roasting salmon in the oven. Wolfert advises an oven temperature between 225ºF and 275ºF. A lower temperature helps protect the delicate omega-3 fats and vitamin D that makes salmon such a brain-healthy food.
Using a thin baking sheet is crucial here. Use your flimsiest baking sheet — maybe an old cookie sheet?— to help the salmon get to the right temperature. If you only have a sturdy, high quality baking pan, that’s will work, too. Just place it in the oven to preheat before placing the salmon filet on it.
A pan of boiling water in the oven keeps the salmon moist
Wolfert then asks us to place a frying pan of boiling water on the lowest rack. Here’s the easiest way to do this: I use a large saucepan instead; it’s harder to spill when filled with boiling water. I place the saucepan on the lowest rack, pull the rack out, then pour boiling water from a tea kettle into it. Much easier (and safer) than filling a shallow frying pan with hot water then transferring it to the oven.
When cooking salmon, an instant read thermometer is your friend
Once your salmon is in the oven and the pan is filled with boiling water, close the oven door and set the timer. A 5-lunce filet should take 10-12 minutes. A 2 ½ pound side of salmon should take 20-22 minutes. If you have an instant read thermometer, it takes the guesswork out of perfectly cooked salmon. Insert into the thickest part of the salmon: 110ºF for rare, 115ºF for medium-rare, and 120ºF for medium. I like mine between rare and medium-rare so I’ll pull it from the oven when the thermometer hits 112ºF and let it sit for a few more minutes on the pan.
Once you’ve made this a few times in your own oven, you likely won’t need to take the salmon’s temp.
Salmon steamed in the oven turns out juicy and moist every time. It’s great served warm or at room temperature, making it a perfect potluck dish. I also like leftover salmon served cold atop a grain bowl or salad the next day.
Choose the most sustainable, healthful salmon
I have a most excellent salmon source — Pride of Bristol Bay — so I buy my salmon by the case at the end of the Alaskan salmon season. It’s the highest quality wild sockeye salmon available, and I get a good price by buying direct from the fisherman. You can read more and order from Pride of Bristol Bay on their website here.
Serve your salmon with my Cilantro Chutney, or my Roasted Lemon Salsa Verde.
Prep Time | 5 minutes |
Cook Time | 10 to 22 minutes |
Servings |
as many as you want
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- 1 or more 5-oz to 2.5 pound wild salmon filet 1-inch thick
- olive oil for greasing the pan
- kosher or sea salt for sprinkling on the salmon
- boiling water for pouring in the pan to steam the salmon
Ingredients
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- Preheat the oven to 225ºF to 275ºF, depending on your oven and how much salmon you are preparing (use a higher temperature for larger quantities.)
- Place a large saucepan on the lowest rack of your oven. Place another rack up high in the oven.
- Rub a thin baking sheet with enough olive oil to coat lightly.
- Dry the salmon with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
- Bring a tea kettle or pot of water to boil and carefully pour into the pan in the oven.
- Place the sheet pan of salmon on the uppermost rack. Immediately close the oven door.
- Oven-steam the salmon for 10-12 minutes for 1-2 filets, up to 20-22 minutes for a whole side of salmon.
- Test for doneness with an instant read thermometer: 110ºF for rare, 115ºF for medium-rare, and 120ºF for medium.
- Remove immediately and serve warm or at room temperature.
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