Slow-Roasted Salmon with French Herb Salsa
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This slow-roasted salmon with an elegant fresh herb salsa is wonderful at room temperature, making it perfect for a holiday brunch or buffet.
This slow-roasted salmon recipe comes from the much-acclaimed cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. Samin is also the host and producer of the wonderful Netflix cooking/travel docuseries, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, based on her book. She writes that slow-roasting is her favorite way to cook salmon because the low heat makes it almost impossible to overcook the fish. Indeed, the heat is so gentle that the fish still appears slightly translucent even when fully cooked.
Like with many of her recipes, Samin gives a general technique for cooking the salmon and then suggests variations and an array of sauces that work with it. I chose to pair the salmon with an elegant French herb salsa made with macerated shallots and fine herbs. While the dish can be served hot or cold, I think it’s best at room temperature as an alternative to poached salmon. It’s perfect for a holiday brunch or buffet.
What you’ll need To Make Slow-Roasted Salmon
How To Make Slow-Roasted Salmon
To begin, place the salmon on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the salt evenly over top.
Slide the pan into the oven, which has been preheated to 225°F, and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the fish begins to flake in the thickest part of the filet when poked with a knife or your finger. (Because this method is so gentle on its proteins, the fish will appear translucent even when it’s cooked.) Don’t worry if any white coagulated proteins form on the fish; just scrape them off with a spoon.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shallot and vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes to macerate.
In a separate small bowl, combine the herbs, olive oil, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to add the shallot (but not the vinegar, yet) to the herb oil.
Stir, taste, and add the vinegar as needed (I usually add 2 to 3 teaspoons). Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
Break the salmon into large, rustic pieces and spoon the French herb salsa over top.
You may also like:
- Classic Egg Salad
- Spinach Quiche
- Savory Sausage and Cheddar Bread Pudding
- Strawberry and Orange Salad with Citrus Syrup & Fresh Mint
Slow-Roasted Salmon with French Herb Salsa
This slow-roasted salmon with an elegant fresh herb salsa is wonderful at room temperature, making it perfect for a holiday brunch or buffet.
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- One (2-lb) salmon filet, pin bones and skin removed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
For the French Herb Salsa
- 3 tablespoons finely diced shallot, from 1 medium shallot
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh chervil (okay to substitute more parsley if you can't find it)
- 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 225°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Place the salmon on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the salt evenly over top. Slide the pan into the oven and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the fish begins to flake in the thickest part of the filet when poked with a knife or your finger. (Because this method is so gentle on its proteins, the fish will appear translucent even when it's cooked.) Using a small spoon, scrape off any white coagulated proteins that may have formed on the salmon.
- Break the salmon into large, rustic pieces and spoon the French herb salsa (below) over top. This dish can be served hot, cold, or room temperature.
For the French Herb Salsa
- In a small bowl, combine the shallot and vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes to macerate.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the herbs, olive oil, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to add the shallot (but not the vinegar, yet) to the herb oil. Stir, taste, and add the vinegar as needed (I usually add 2 to 3 teaspoons). Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The salmon can be cooked 1 day ahead of time, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. The French herb salsa can be made, covered, and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead of time.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 439
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 405 mg
- Cholesterol: 83 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Hi Jen! I love all your recipes and am trying this for the first time tonight. My salmon is skin on. Should I try to remove it before cooking or will it be ok if I cook it skin on?
Hi Tess, I’d just leave it on. It’ll be easy to remove once the salmon is cooked; just slide a thin metal spatula between the flesh and skin when serving.
I made this herb salsa for a dinner party. We served it with halibut and it was delicious. Made as is, no changes and everyone enjoyed it!
This was fabulous! I didn’t have chives, so I added additional shallots. I also had a plethora of cherry tomatoes so I seeded, chopped and added 3 T so they wouldn’t go to waste. I am looking forward to trying this recipe as written. Thanks so much, Jenn. I’ve never had a bad recipe that was created by you!
I have made this dish many times. The recipe is easy and there aren’t any complicated directions. In fact, it has become my go-to brunch dish, and it never disappoints. The herb salsa is so delicious, I often double the recipe amount because we are wanting more! Thank you Jenn!
Hi Jenn. I have made this recipe many times and it never disappoints. I have an over abundance of herbs this time and wonder if I could vacuum seal and freeze them after chopping while they are still dry?
Sure, Denise, I think that should work (and glad you like the salmon)!
I have never made a successful fish. This one was phenomenal. It has a better than restaurant quality. I will make this again. So easy but with fresh ingredients. Thank you for helping me realize I too can make a successful fish dinner.
This is a low effort recipe for such an elegant dish. It saved me so much time and anxiety when I hosted a dinner for a small group with varied diets (keto, pescatarian, regular ol’ omnivore). I wanted everything to be perfect, and this was delicious and easy. I roasted the salmon the day before and made the herb salsa the day of, and before serving, I brought the salmon to room temp, broke it into chunks, and topped it with the salsa just before serving. I served it with a roasted tomato pasta, a mixed green salad (also served roasted tenderloin and shrimp). The only challenge I had was removing the white proteins from the roasted salmon. I kept accidentally scraping chunks of salmon off, and I just couldn’t get that stuff off. Thankfully, the salsa covered it all up so you couldn’t really tell.
Lovely meal, so easy to make. My son also enjoyed the meal, who is fussy about food. Love the combination of herbs. We tried it with twice once with potatoes and another time with rice. Both meals were great. Will definitely be having this meal again.
Fantastic recipe! Now my go-to salmon dish!
I made this for Seder, putting the fish in the oven just before we started. An hour-ish later, the salmon looked amazing! It was a fabulous hit! Everyone commented on the salsa. Paired with grilled balsamic carrots, fresh salad, and scalloped potatoes. Thank G-d there are leftovers!
Hi there — this looks amazing. Can I prepare the fish using this slow roasting method and use the creamy cucumber dill sauce from your other salmon recipe? I’d like to serve the fish at room temp.
Thanks!!
Eve
Sure, Eve – I think that would work nicely!
Hi! I got 2 6-8oz. pieces of salmon for just my husband and I. How do I adjust the cooking time?
Thank you!
Hi Staci, good question! I haven’t cooked smaller pieces of this, but I’d start checking it at about 25 minutes. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Jenn, chervil? None of the gourmet or produce markets in my upscale neighborhood have it. Then inspiration struck and I went to Penzeys. Will it work and how much? Looking forward to trying it. Thanks
Hi Carol, I feel badly saying this after you made a trip to Penzeys but instead of using dried chervil, I’d recommend using more parsley so you can stick with the fresh herbs. Hope that helps!
Hi – I have some individual fillets of salmon. Can I still use the slow cook method? I usually cook them at 220 C for about 15 mins and they turn out really well. Which method would you suggest?
Hi Andrea, I would make the temperature much lower so that it is consistent with the slow roasting method in the recipe — 110°C. And the individual pieces will take less time in the oven, but it’s hard to say by how much so I’d just keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
I am making this for a dinner for about 20 people that I am hosting with friends. The dinner will not take place at my house and I want to have a side made ahead that I can bring. I’m having trouble thinking of something that won’t compete with all the flavors of the salsa. At home I would make quinoa right before but quinoa probably doesn’t reheat well, I’m thinking? Any suggestions? I’m also bringing spinach artichoke dip but wanted a starch or grain to go alongside the salmon. Thanks!
Hi Lesley, I think quinoa would be a good choice and I’ve reheated it many times (in the microwave) with no problem. Hope that helps!
Okay, thanks so much! I forgot you say I’m also making the Kentucky bourbon cake from the cookbook! Haven’t made it yet but it looks so delicious 🙂
This is our new favorite salmon dish. The “salsa” is magic.
OMG this was sooooo good. I had company over and I served 3lbs of Salmon this way. I doubled the herb salsa and everyone loved it. Differently keeping this for future get togethers.
I’m going to make this tomorrow for company what do you suggest to serve along with the Salmon?
I’ll several of your recipes all with good results.
Hi Kathy, I think I’m weighing in too late to help — sorry! What did you end up serving the salmon with?
This was fantastic! Being winter in the Midwest, we could not find all of the herbs, but we used what we could and had a mix of basil, parsley, and dill (we often add that to salmon) and a little lemon rind grated into the mix. With the shallot and vinegar, it was sublime. The entire family loved it and I can’t wait for my garden to grow the right herbs so I can try it with tarragon and chervil.
This was a great recipe – easy to follow and the salmon came out moist and delicious! Thanks Jenn!
This recipe is amazing. I could eat the French salsa on everything. Don’t hesitate to try this. Easy and so delicious.
Love all your recipes and rarely change them up (rare for me!) I did this one just a bit as I love a crispy skin on salmon. I scored the skin and put in a very hot non stick pan with a little oil for a couple minutes. Seasoned as you suggested and added a little dijon then put in the oven in the same pan. Roasted in the slow oven as recommended then, once out, flipped the salmon and seared the dijon side on the stove top for just a minute in the same pan, Made a nice sear. The herbs on top were perfect. This is my go-to salmon recipe every time whether or not I do the crispy skin or dijon. The slow cooking is brilliant!
Only, please use wild-caught salmon and not the farm raised salmon that is in the photos accompanying this recipe.
I cooked it tonight for the first time, it’s a huge hit in the family. Awesome flavours! The best salmon I have had. Thank you so much for making it easier in lockdown when I can cook your recipes this great!
This is so good and a nice change from our usual Asian influenced grilled salmon. Though I made a couple of mistakes and had to make a substitution or two, I’d definitely make this recipe again. Since everyone in the reviews has raved over the sauce, I doubled that part of the recipe. I subbed purple onion for the shallot, parsley and tarragon for the chervil, minced green onions for the chives, and rice vinegar for the white wine vinegar since I had all those items on hand. I failed to read the instructions thoroughly and added the vinegar to the rest of the sauce ingredients. Whoops! It was still delicious. I let the salmon cook longer than I should have, and next time I’ll check on it sooner. I served the salmon and sauce with your cauliflower purée with thyme and a mixed green salad. The next day, I added a clove of minced garlic, chopped rosemary, panko breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese to the leftover sauce and used it as a filling for a stuffed pork loin. Delicious served with leftover cauliflower purée and your asparagus salad with boiled egg and creamy Dijon dressing. My husband and I decreed both meals restaurant quality! Thank you for all you do to provide your audience with inspiration.
Glad you enjoyed (and what a creative way to use the leftover sauce)!
Loved this version of slow-roasted salmon! I bought a fresh 1+# cut of salmon, but made a full recipe of the herb salsa because I had all the herbs growing right outside in my garden (except chervil, have to add that one to my herb garden). Not only is this herb salsa the best thing ever on the perfect roasted salmon, but it is also fantastic on a generous side helping of mashed red potatoes which I get from my local farm stand and a slice or two of warm sourdough bread. I can see this as a great dinner offering with friends, but my hubby was just as happy that I served it up for just the two of us. Thanks again Jennifer for your great ideas.
Hi.
I only have chive, basil, mint and cilantro easily available where I live. What combination would you recommend for the herb salsa?
Hi Zeenat, I’d go with the chive, basil and mint. I think it will still be delicious. Please LMK how it turns out!
I have used this recipe twice, both times it was excellent. I did not make the salsa the 1st time, but last night was a special occasion so I invested in all of the pricey herbs. It was amazing, but if I want to make the salsa again without the investment, which herbs are necessary and which could I eliminate/substitute without a huge hit in flavor? Parsley is cheap, basil I can grow during the summer, but nothing else seems to grow or not get eaten here.
Big plug for Sitka Salmon Shares, a community supported fishery with seafood delivery. All their fish is amazing.
Also, pre-ordered your new cookbook. Can’t wait.
Glad you’ve enjoyed it! You could make this with just basil and parsley. The salsa will still be good; it will just have a different flavor.
So delicious! Slow cooking the salmon makes a huge difference in the flavor and the moistness. The herb salsa added the perfect flavors to brighten the fish. We didn’t have all the herbs but used parsley, basil and chives and it worked. I made roasted potatoes as a side and my son got creative and topped the potatoes with the salmon and a poached egg. Surprisingly it was delicious and would make a nice brunch dish. Thank you for sharing another wonderful recipe.
Is the oven temp 105 fan forced, or would I lower temp a little or shorten cooking? Thanks 🙏
Hi Eloise, It is not fan-forced; I recommend cooking in a conventional oven. Hope that helps!
This was such a good way to cook salmon – it came out perfectly, even though I warned my family it was a very low oven temperature so expect it might be a bit translucent (which it actually wasn’t). So easy to leave in the oven like that and salmon was moist, flaky, succulent – absolutely delicious – and the herb dressing was a hit with my fussy kids who often pick off herbs if left as large leaf format! Cold leftover with flatbreads for lunch the next day was relish too. Definitely making this again – so simple, fresh and healthy. Now scanning your website for what to cook next, seems a fantastic site.
Can you make this with salmon steaks?
I think you could, but they wouldn’t take as long to cook so keep a close eye on them. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!