Slow-Roasted Salmon with French Herb Salsa
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Want to impress your guests without stressing? This slow-roasted salmon with fresh herb salsa looks impressive, tastes amazing, and couldn’t be easier. Serve it warm, chilled, or at room temp—whatever works for you.
This slow-roasted salmon recipe, a gem from Samin Nosrat’s acclaimed Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, has become a favorite in my kitchen. Her method is brilliant—roasting the salmon low and slow makes it almost impossible to overcook the fish. It stays super moist and just a little translucent, even when it’s fully cooked. Like a lot of Samin’s recipes, this one’s more of a technique than a strict formula, and she includes a few variations and sauces to play around with.
I usually serve it with a simple herb salsa—just macerated shallots, olive oil, and a mix of soft herbs. It takes no time at all and adds so much flavor.
You can serve the salmon warm, cold, or at room temp (that’s my favorite), and it always feels a little fancy, especially on a holiday buffet. It’s delicious alongside roasted potatoes, a simple green salad, or roasted asparagus. The fact that you can make it ahead is a huge bonus when you’re hosting.
“So tender – melt in your mouth. The sauce is excellent. Incredibly simple yet beautiful presentation. My new go to salmon recipe.”
What you’ll need To Make Slow-Roasted Salmon
- Salmon Filet: You can ask your fishmonger to remove the skin for convenience. If you don’t, it’s easy to remove once the salmon is cooked; just slide a thin metal spatula between the flesh and skin when serving.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Used to coat the salmon for moisture and richness, and as the base for the herb salsa.
- Shallot: Adds a mild, slightly sweet onion flavor to the salsa.
- White Wine Vinegar: Provides bright acidity to balance the richness of the salmon and round out the salsa.
- Fresh Italian Parsley, Chervil, Chives, Basil, And Tarragon: A blend of fresh herbs that gives the salsa its bright, fresh flavor and loads of aroma.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Prep the salmon. Place the salmon on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with salt.
Step 2. Roast the salmon. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes in a 225°F oven until the thickest part flakes easily when pressed with a knife or your finger. It will still look a little translucent even when fully cooked.
Pro Tip: Slow-roasting keeps the fish tender, prevents it from seizing up, and reduces the amount of white protein (albumin) that surfaces. If you see a bit (like below), simply scrape it off with a spoon.
Step 3. Macerate the shallots. In a small bowl, combine the shallot and vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: Macerating mellows the sharp bite of the shallot and enhances its natural sweetness.
Step 4. Make the herb oil. In another bowl, mix the herbs, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Pro Tip: Chop the herbs as finely as possible so their essential oils release and flavor distributes evenly.
Step 5. Finish the salsa. Right before serving, use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots (without the vinegar) into the herb oil. Stir, then taste and add 2 to 3 teaspoons of the vinegar, depending on how sharp the flavor is. Adjust salt if needed.
Step 6. Break and serve the salmon. Break the salmon into rustic pieces, spoon the herb salsa over the top, and serve.
The salmon can be roasted a day ahead and refrigerated, and the salsa can be made up to two days in advance and chilled until ready to use.
More Salmon Recipes You may like
Slow-Roasted Salmon with French Herb Salsa
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 1 (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 (105°C) 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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.
Comments
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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!
Healthy, delicious, and simple, I make this dish weekly using Steelhead Trout from Costco. I usually don’t make the salsa and it’s not missed.
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!