Salmon with Frizzled Onion, Lemon, + Capers
INGREDIENTS
Two 6-oz salmon fillets (skin-on and skinless both work)
Black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
1 large clove of garlic, thinly sliced
Fresno chili pepper, minced to taste or red chili flakes
1 lemon
1 heaping tablespoon capers
Garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or dill
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
MISE-EN-PLACE*: Wash and dry your salmon fillets and place on the baking sheet. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Thinly slice 1/2 small red onionand 1 large clove of garlic. Cut the lemon in half; remove the seeds from one half and dice lemon half** (both the skin and the flesh) and reserve the other half for juicing.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-heat (about 1 minute). Add sliced onion to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions have become translucent and begin to brown.
Then, add in the sliced garlic, fresno chili or red chili flakes to taste, and a little salt. Cook for another minute before adding in the diced lemon and capers. Cook for two more minutes. The mixture should look jammy. If you see garlic is beginning to brown, lower the heat (garlic that is too brown = bitter and not yummy).
Use a large spoon to pour the onion-lemon mixture over each salmon fillet.
Place the salmon in the oven and bake just until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Salmon should be opaque and flaky when pulled apart using a fork. For a golden top, you can broil the salmon for the last 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy with a squeeze of lemon if you like!
