30 Before 30: Roasted Salmon with Cheddar Dijon Bechamel (#17)

I know I said I needed to stop using roasted as a title so much, but guys, roasted things are so good! Sockeye has been on sale a lot lately, so we got more. I can't help myself, I just love salmon so much. Wanting to branch out even more than the meuniere and maybe find a good alfredo, I poked around my cookbooks and found something even more different. I was excited because I had almost everything on the ingredient list at home already, something that has been a major challenge within the challenge this month. I had to sub out the Dijon for sweet hot mustard because I was out for some reason (we are a multi-mustard home). I also subbed in some amazing herb tagliatelle from Pastaworks for the rice since we'd already been out shopping that day and it's fresh pasta. You can't say no to that. I also cut this recipe in half, which leads to two very large servings of salmon – but it's salmon. Don't say no.

Roasted Salmon with Cheddar Dijon Bechamel via The Tillamook Cheese Cookbook:

Serves 6

6 6 oz. Center-cut salmon fillets, skin-on

3 Tb. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tb. Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

1½ c. whole milk or half-and-half

¼ c. Dijon mustard

1 Tb. all-purpose flour

1 large egg yolk

2¼ c. shredded white extra sharp cheddar cheese

Salt

3 c. hot, cooked wild or brown rice

Position the oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the fillets, skin side down, on a baking sheet. Mix the olive oil and mustard, and brush on the tops and sides of the salmon and sprinkle with pepper. Roast until the fish is just opaque, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining the milk, mustard, flour, and egg yolk in a small saucepan. Whisk to blend, and cook over medium heat, whisking gently and constantly, until the mixture just begins to bubble, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add ¾ cup of the cheese. Stir, until the cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place a spoonful of rice on serving plates. Lift the fillets from the skin with a metal spatula, and place the salmon on the rice. Spoon the sauce over the fish and rice. Sprinkle each serving with ¼ cup of the remaining cheese.

We had ours with some steamed broccoli. This was one of my favorite meals this month because it was new, it was easy, it was fast, and I managed to get all of the components of dinner done at about the same time.

Recipes Complete: 17

Recipes to Go: 13