Rosemary Lemon Baked Salmon

Rosemary can flatten salmon if you let it. Here it is infused into warm olive oil first, strained, and brushed on — all of the aroma, none of the needles.

Why the rosemary matters here. Infusing and straining is the whole technique. The oil carries a measured amount of rosemary onto the fish, so the herb frames the salmon instead of burying it.

Home kitchen · 4 to 6 servings

• 4 sprigs Fresh rosemary, 3 for the oil, 1 chopped fine
• 2½ lb Salmon fillet, skin on, portioned
• 2/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Lemons, sliced thin plus juice
• 6 cloves Garlic, smashed
• 1 lb Asparagus and cherry tomatoes
• to taste Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Herb quantities are given in loose cups, not weight — a cup should look like too much before you chop it.

Method

1. 1 Warm the olive oil gently with three rosemary sprigs and the smashed garlic for 10 minutes. Do not let it bubble. Strain and discard the solids.
2. 2 Pat the salmon dry, season, and brush generously with the infused oil. Lay lemon slices over the top.
3. 3 Roast at 425°F for 11 to 13 minutes with the asparagus and tomatoes alongside, dressed in the same oil.
4. 4 Rest 3 minutes, then finish with lemon juice and the single sprig of finely chopped raw rosemary.
5. 5 Serve over polenta or a lemon purée with the pan oil spooned around.