Salmon Confit
Have you ever had Salmon Confit?
To be honest, this was my first time. In fact, I never even knew that such a thing as salmon confit even existed until very recently… I’d always associated the term “confit” with meat that was being cooked in a bath of warm fat for a very long period of time. In my mind’s eye, the very concept of prolonged cooking didn’t seem to sit so well with such a delicate thing as salmon flesh.
Well, little did I know that you can actually cook salmon in a bath of warm fat, only you don’t need to leave it in there for all that long; 20 minutes are all you need!
And the resulting dish is an experience you won’t soon forget!
At least I know I won’t…
This is definitely my new mostest favoritest way of eating salmon. It’s so delicate and fresh, every bite literally disintegrates in your mouth.
Just like gravlax, it has a texture that’s extremely similar to that of smoked salmon, without any of the actual smoke flavor. Instead, your taste buds get hit by a beautiful assortment of gentle aromas. You get to taste the delicate flavor of the salmon, of course, but then your palate also gets to enjoy very agreeable notes of zesty lemon, refreshing dill and nutty olive oil.
This is a dish that is totally worthy of any 5 star restaurant out there, yet, you can make it super quickly and easily in the comfort of your own home. And talk about elegant, too!
Want to give it a try? Here’s how it goes…
In a shallow bowl or rimmed plate, combine the lemon zest, chopped dill, coarse sea salt and maple sugar flakes. Mix well.
Don’t hesitate to really squeeze this mixture between your fingers in order to bruise the dill and zest. This will force them to release more flavor!
Next, rub the salmon fillets in the spice mixture, coating them well on both sides…
…and send them to fridge, just like that, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes.
This will actually “cure” the salmon, or get the cooking process started…
After the 30 to 45 minutes have elapsed, rinse the salmon fillets under cold running water and then pat them real dry.
Place the fish fillets in an ovenproof dish that’s just large enough to accommodate them and cover them completely with olive oil. Of course, the larger the container you use, the more oil you will need in order to completely submerge the fish.
Now about that olive oil… after you’re done cooking your fish, you don’t HAVE to send it all to waste (‘cuz you know, food is a terrible thing to waste…) Simply filter it and keep it in the refrigerator, then use it for cooking. So long as you use it within a handful of days, it’ll be perfectly safe.
Set your oven to 170°F and immediately place the salmon on the middle rack. Cook your fish for 20 minutes, then carefully lift it out of its oil bath with a fish spatula.
Let the excess oil drip for a few seconds…
… and serve, garnished with a handful of micro-greens and homemade mayo, if desired.
And now, get ready to have your mind blown!
p.s. notice anything different about this site? What do you think of the new look? It’s still a little unstable for the moment, as no launch ever goes without a hitch, you know, but we’re working as fast as we can to get everything smooth and beautiful, just the way they were designed to be!
Salmon Confit
Ingredients
- 2 - 6oz skinless salmon fillets
- the grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 3 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp pure maple sugar flakes, you could also use regular maple sugar or any type of sugar that you feel comfortable using
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or other oil of your choice
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl or rimmed plate, combine the lemon zest, chopped dill, coarse sea salt and maple sugar flakes. Mix well.
- Rub the salmon fillets with the spices on both sides and send them to fridge, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes.
- After that time, rinse the fillets under cold running water and pat dry.
- Place the fish in an ovenproof dish that's just large enough to accommodate them and cover them completely with olive oil. (the larger the container, the more oil you will need)
- Set your oven to 170°F and immediately place the salmon on the middle rack.
- Cook for 20 minutes, then carefully lift the salmon with a fish spatula. Allow to drip for a few seconds and serve, garnished with a handful of micro-greens and homemade mayo, if desired.
Nutrition
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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30 Comments on “Salmon Confit”
Since the spice mix is curing it, I imagine all of the ingredients are necessary? I am specifically curious about the sugar, since I don’t have any maple sugar. If it is necessary, is that an alternative?
You can use any sugar that you feel comfortable using, Taylor.
I would love to try this recipe. I happen to have some boneless perch my stepdad recently caught from the lake……..I wonder if I could this method on it?
I’m not sure, Donna, for I’ve never tried it, but seeing as how perch has a very delicate flesh, I really wouldn’t see why not. If it were me, I would definitely give it a try!
LOVE the new design! It loads much quicker, doesn’t ” crash” my device and is beautiful!! And the salmon dish looks delish.
Oh yay! That is music to my ears, Majesty, than you so much for that. I am so very happy to hear. Fingers crossed that it stays that way!
Oh my lanta Sonia. This has got to be the moistest most delicious salmon I have ever laid eyes on!!! I could live off of this! I’m the girl who goes to a restaurant and asks them to cook my salmon rare so this right here just looks like pure perfection (wouldn’t expect anything less from you!! Haha) 😉
I am a lover of Salmon and this looked irresistible ! I did a couple of small changes though. I put in a few thin slices of fresh ginger chopped up in the marinating mix instead of the maple sugar and added Ginger ZING! sea salt – from Salts of the 7 Seas, instead of plain sea salt! The result was amazing! Thank you for the best salmon ever!!
Does the left over oil have a salmon flavor to it? I’ve been trying to find a salmon infused oil for a project and am hoping it infuses the oil a bit.
Not so much, really… but don’t take my word for it, perhaps the flavor would be sufficient for you!
Is this supposed to be 170 c? I did this for 20 min and the oil was barely at 100 degrees. Def not warm enough to cook the salmon
The salmon will not turn opaque, Tucker. The curing basically takes care of the cooking and then the trip in the warm oil merely brings the meat up in temperature. You can leave it in for a little bit longer if you feel it’s necessary.
Looks amazing! May I ask how long I leave the salmon soaking in the oil? Thanks
I tried this recipe a couple months ago and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I will be making this recipe again, but I will also making a crown roast which will take up the oven for 2 1/2 hours @ 350 f. What do u suggest for cooking time and temp since the oven will be preheated from the roast?
I recommend letting the oven temp drop down to 170F, otherwise the oil will get too hot and the fish will cook…
What should be the temperature of the oven if it is fan forced? Thanks!
I really have no idea, sorry…
I was wondering can you cure the salmon earlier in the day and then reheat in the oil? I have 16 pieces at 150g each, do they need the same curing and oven time? Thank you.
So simple yet so refined. This is our new go to instead of cooking our salmon fillets. Even better on day 2. This will become a new addition to our family Xmas lunch. Divine!
It’s so easy and fast . I love it.
I made a BIG rookie mistake and left the salmon with the salt mixture in the fridge for four hours as my dinner plans changed. The salmon became so salty it was almost inedible, as well it had cured so much it was already “cooked” when I took it out of the fridge. Will try again following the recipe exactly next time.
Oh nooooo, what a bummer! I hope you were able to salvage your salmon, and that your next try turns out better! 🙂
Can you warm salmon confit once it has been cooked and do you leave it in the oil
Can I check one thing – definitely tablespoons of ingredients and the lemon zest … I’ve noticed that no matter how many portions I increase it to it still says one lemon. Should it be one lemon two portions?
Thanks
Sorry about that! The quantity doesn’t increase because of the way the plugin is made, it doesn’t recognize the 1 in the phrase “the grated zest of 1 lemon” as quantity. But yes, you want to use roughly the zest of 1 lemon per 2 fillets.
Zero stars.
This recipe will leave you with raw salmon.
170 degrees for 20 minutes left me with fish barely over room temperature. (my meat thermometer read 85 degrees at the center of the fish. This is not cooked. I almost fed this to my pregnant wife. FIX THIS.)
The recipe should either read “170 degrees CELCIUS”, or the recipe should be corrected to have a Fahrenheit temperature that works.
After I discovered the error, I turned the oven on to 300 and gave it another 15 minutes. It came out OK, but I really think it would have been a lot better if the temps had been correct.
This is a recipe for salmon CONFIT, so there is no error and nothing to fix.
Sounds delicious, I didn’t know you could confit salmon. Do you think the end product is very fat?
Most delicious!! Made it a few times for guests too, everyone ❤️ it! THANK YOU
Glad you liked it, Kati! Thanks for the great feedback! 🙂