Pancetta and Lemon Salmon is an easy recipe to make either on the grill or roasted in your oven. Simple flavours allow you to taste the fish without overpowering the flavours making it a family favourite in our house!
What kind of Salmon to use
Since I grew up fishing, catching and eating the salmon we caught, I never buy farmed. The whole concept of keeping salmon trapped in a very small and typically overcrowded area without the ability to move freely throughout rivers, streams and oceans is not one I openly support.
Do your research and decide what is best for you and your family!
When buying your salmon look for any of these: Chinook, Chum, Sockeye, Pink and Coho. I’ve eaten them all, mostly when I lived in B.C. as the variety available in Alberta is not so great. The BC Salmon website goes into more detail about each of these species of wild salmon.
Use only fresh ingredients
Use only fresh salmon whenever possible. Always smell the salmon before you buy it – even through the package. When it’s old it will smell fishy. Remember this tip when cooking or eating cooked salmon. When it’s over cooked, it will also smell fishy.
Inspiration
I like to share where my ideas come from. If I’m inspired by a restaurant meal I’ve had, I will most definitely share where the inspiration came from.
My mom made a roasted salmon fillet baked on parchment when we were kids. She would add a little olive oil, thinly sliced onion, pancetta and fresh dill from her garden. We took her recipe and simplified it using only pancetta and lemon with olive oil, salt and pepper to show cooking with salmon can be easy and flavourful.
Sometimes I serve this salmon topped with a cool, fresh Cucumber Salad. Since cucumber and salmon work well together, it’s a great side dish. Blistered asparagus complete the meal.
Serve your salmon fillet cut into individual portions with the cucumber salad on top and a side of asparagus. Or omit cucumber salad and enjoy with blistered asparagus or green beans!
PRO TIPS
- Always use fresh salmon. Do the smell test.
- Do not over cook your salmon. Rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch.
- Either grill as outlined below or roast in a 450 F oven.
- Simple flavours are best. Don’t add strong flavours that will over power the taste of the salmon.
- You do not need to wrap the salmon in pancetta – it makes no difference in the flavour. Simply lay it on top and any fat from the pancetta will drip down flavouring the fish.
Love salmon as much as we do?! Check out some of our other salmon recipes:
- Minted Salmon
- Five Spice Salmon with Maple
- Salmon with Maple Syrup & Rosemary
- Sweet and Spicy Grilled Salmon
Let us know what you think of our Pancetta and Lemon Salmon in the comments section!
Ingredients
- 2 lb salmon fillet bones removed
- 4-6 slices pancetta sliced thin
- 1 whole lemon
- salt & pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare a piece of aluminum foil just slightly larger than the piece of salmon you will be grilling. Spray foil with cooking spray.
- Place salmon skin side down on the aluminum foil on a preheated grill. Drizzle olive oil on the salmon and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Zest some lemon over your salmon, then cut lemon in half and squeeze some juice over the the salmon. Layer pancetta pieces down the middle.
- With lid down cook salmon over medium heat for 10 minutes per inch of thickness or until fish flakes easily with a fork (I go by feel but do not overcook).
- Remove salmon from grill and serve immediately.
Notes
Leave a Reply