A stress-free dish for everyone

HOLIDAY COOKING

Lemon Butter Salmon with Dill, and a pickled cucumber topping. The pickled cucumber sits as the salmon does, deepening in flavor. DAVID MALOSH — THE NEW YORK TIMES

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By Genevieve Ko

The New York Times

Some holiday traditions are meant to evolve.

At least that’s what I told myself when I decided to make a whole fillet of salmon the center of Easter brunch. Among classic main dishes, it requires the least amount of time to cook, but looks and tastes impressive, pink for spring and light for all the new brightness in the day.

Around the world, lamb is served for its religious significance, and because lambs are slaughtered in spring. Ham, the other common option, used to come from pigs butchered in the fall. Their haunches were cured and ready by Easter, and the cycle of that pastoral life led to ham becoming the traditional celebratory main.

As much as I love ham and lamb, I found that preparing them well either meant eating late or missing the egg hunt. One year, to accommodate a traditionalist and a pescatarian, I cooked ham, lamb and salmon. Within that trinity, everyone raved about the salmon, so here it is, ready to grace the table.

Wild salmon works especially well with this recipe because the butter in the honey-lemon sauce glosses the lean fish with richness. (Fatty farmed salmon will simply taste even richer, not a bad thing at all.) Dill, lots of it, balances the caramelized buttery sauce with its freshness, green as cut grass.

Whether you use fresh or wild salmon, the fish benefits from a simple trick often applied to steak: salting an hour before cooking. While the seasoned salmon chills uncovered in the fridge, moisture is drawn out of its flesh and evaporates. After cooking, the fish ends up a touch firmer and more savory. If you’re using a light, flaky kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal, which is less salty, be a bit more generous with your sprinkle. For all other types of salt — coarse kosher, any grind of sea salt and fine table salt — season a little more sparingly. The salmon also tastes great if salted for up to four hours and if you’ve forgotten to salt it or run out of time, it’s still flavorful if salted just before cooking.

Lemon Butter Salmon With Dill

Glossed with a tangy blend of honey and lemon, this salmon caramelizes around the edges while staying juicy and tender. Dill, lots of it, brings freshness, green as cut grass. Wild salmon works especially well here because the butter in the sauce gives the lean fish richness. (Fatty farmed salmon will simply taste even richer, not a bad thing at all.) Quick-pickled cucumbers and mustard seeds offer a cool, crunchy pop to this dish, but the salmon is also tasty on its own. Serve this with rice, potatoes or a tray of asparagus roasted alongside the salmon. — Genevieve Ko

Yield: 6 to 8 servings. Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes.

Ingredients

1 whole (2 to 2 1/2-pound) salmon fillet

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

1 lemon

3 Persian (baby) cucumbers, scrubbed and thinly sliced

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus fronds for garnish

direcTions

1. Place the salmon on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and sprinkle all over with salt. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour to draw out excess moisture and intensify its savoriness.

2. Combine 1 tablespoon honey, the vinegar, mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Zest the lemon over the mixture and whisk until well combined. Add the cucumbers and stir to coat well. Let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least an hour, until ready to serve.

3. Heat the oven to 425 degrees about half an hour before you’re ready to serve. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe away any excess liquid from the pan as well.

4. Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon and whisk with the butter, dill and remaining 1/4 cup honey until well blended. Season the salmon generously with black pepper, then spoon the lemon-butter sauce on top.

5. Roast until a thin paring knife inserted into the thickest part slides in easily and comes out quite warm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Spoon any sauce around the pan over the fish, which will continue to heat through just past medium-rare.

6. Sprinkle with dill fronds and serve with the pickled cucumbers.