Panko Crusted Salmon

Last night I learned how to prepare salmon, courtesy of one of the three chefs in our family...my dad. I came home and saw that he had two salmon fillets out and asked if I could prepare one and he prepare the other. I had a particular recipe in mind that I had read on one of my favorite blogs online, Annie's Eats. With his help, I tweaked the recipe a little and came out with a delicious product.

I think that the recipe was quite successful and everyone in the family seemed to enjoy, my dad included. The panko breading on the salmon gave it a nice crunch while the lemon drizzled over top provided a nice acidic and flavorful note. I was pleased with myself at the end of the evening not just because I cooked a nice meal, but also because I got to learn new things from someone I greatly admire. I felt that we had a great bonding time in the kitchen, each of us working on our separate fillets, and I enjoyed every minute of the experience.

Panko Crusted Salmon
Note: I used a sockeye salmon fillet that was freshly caught and then frozen. As a result, I don't actually know how big it was, in terms of weight, but it was roughly the length of my arm from my fingertips to my elbow. I was able to cut it into seven individual fillets.

• 6-7 individual salmon fillets, skin on (6-8 oz each)
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2-3 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 large onion, roughly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix the panko, lemon zest, cilantro, and about 3 tbsp of olive oil together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and make sure all of the crumbs are evenly coated with oil.
2. Place the fillets, skin side down, on a cutting board and rub the Dijon mustard over them. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper as well.
3. In the bottom of a large baking dish, drizzle the remaining olive oil and sprinkle the sliced onion all over. The bottom of the pan should be almost invisible. 
4. Place the fillets, again skin side down, on top of the sprinkled onion slices. Press a thick layer of the panko mixture firmly on top of the mustard on each fillet. 
5. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. Uncover the salmon after 15 minutes. It will be ready once the salmon turns light pink in color and the panko crumbs a golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for drizzling over top.