Slow-Roasted Salmon with Green Olive Salsa Verde
This impressive-looking (and tasting!) salmon is much easier to make than it looks! Slow-roasting salmon at a low temperature in olive oil creates an evenly cooked, moist, and flavorful piece of fish. Don’t forget to top it off with lemony Castelvetrano olive salsa verde!
This recipe for slow-roasted salmon with green olive salsa verde is 100% foolproof! By far, the most common cooking questions I get are about how to prepare fish at home. I get it, it can be intimidating!
Fish generally cooks really fast which is great if you’re in a hurry but it can also lead to a dry overcooked dinner if you’re not careful. On top of that, fish is expensive so you really don’t want to mess it up.
With this recipe, I’m slowing things down. We’re cooking the salmon at a low temperature for longer. The result is moist, juicy fish that comes out perfect every time! Check out my tips below for buying fish and testing it for doneness.
Pair Slow-Roasted Salmon with Green Olive Salsa Verde with the perfect side dish like Creamy Parmesan Polenta, Coconut Lime Rice, or Whipped Japanese Sweet Potatoes.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this slow-roasted salmon: a large filet of salmon, (between 1-2 pounds), olive oil, Castelvetrano olives, parsley, green onion, and lemon.
Recipe Steps
Step 1. Cook the Salmon
Preheat the oven to 250. Place the salmon in a baking dish, skin side down, and drizzle with olive oil. Season the fish with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the flesh is opaque and center of the fish is firm to the touch.
Step 2. Prepare the Green Olive Salsa Verde
Use the flat edge of a knife to smash the olives one at a time and remove the pits. Place the pitted olives in a bowl and toss them with the olive oil, lemon juice, green onion, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Just a warning- you’re going to want to pour this green olive salsa verde over everything!
Step 3. Serve
Pour the salsa verde over the salmon as soon as it comes out of the oven. The salmon can be served warm or room temperature.
No need for knives! Gently flake the slow-roasted salmon apart into portions and let the salsa verde sink into all the crevices.
FAQs and Expert Tips
To check if the fish is cooked, take a metal skewer, or the tip of a knife and stick it into the thickest part of the fish Count to 5 then carefully take the skewer out and hold it against your lip –if it’s nice and warm, the fish is cooked.
To be honest, for this recipe it really doesn’t matter. You won’t want to eat the skin, it won’t be crispy, but after it’s cooked the salmon will slide away from the skin easily so it’s up to you, remove it before cooking or after, whichever way you find easier.
With this recipe, I promise you it won’t be dry. Slow-roasting salmon (or any fish) is the most foolproof method for a moist and flavorful filet.
How to Buy Fresh Fish
Buying fish from the seafood counter can be an intimidating process. Here are a few tips to always leave the store with the best quality piece of fish.
- The fishmonger (the person working behind the seafood counter) is there to help you! Don’t be afraid to ask them for exactly what you want. If you don’t know what you want tell them what you’re making or show them a recipe and they will point you in the right direction. They can also perform butchery tasks like removing pin bones, removing the skin, and portioning fish.
- When ordering salmon I always ask for “center cut.” The center cut is literally the center of the filet and the thickest part of the fish. I personally don’t care for the tail end, which is what they will usually try and give you if you don’t specify.
- Ask the fishmonger what’s freshest! They will let you know what came in that day or what’s from the day before. If the salmon doesn’t look great that day you can make this recipe with cod, halibut, or swordfish.
Check out more great salmon recipes:
I love to hear from readers and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! Don’t forget to follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest updates!
Slow-Roasted Salmon with Green Olive Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 2 lb center-cut filet of salmon skin on
- 1/4 c olive oil
- zest of one lemon
- salt and pepper
Green Olive Salsa Verde
- 1 c castelvetrano olives
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley roughly chopped
- 3 whole scallions thinly sliced
- juice from one lemon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250. Place the salmon in a baking dish, skin side down, and drizzle with olive oil. Season the fish with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the flesh is opaque and center of the fish is firm to the touch. To check if the fish is cooked, take a metal skewer, or the tip of a knife and stick it into the thickest part of the fish, count to 5 then carefully take the skewer out and hold it against your lip –if it’s nice and warm, the fish is cooked.
- While the fish is baking prepare the green olive salsa verde. Use the flat edge of a knife to smash the olives one at a time and remove the pits. Place the pitted olives in a bowl and toss them with the olive oil, lemon juice, green onion, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the salsa verde over the salmon as soon as it comes out of the oven. The salmon can be served warm or room temperature.
Notes
- To check if fish is cooked, take a metal skewer, or the tip of a knife and stick it into the thickest part of the fish Count to 5 then carefully take the skewer out and hold it against your lip –if it’s nice and warm, the fish is cooked.
- To be honest, for this recipe it really doesn’t matter. You won’t want to eat the skin, it won’t be crispy, but after it’s cooked the salmon will slide away from the skin easily so it’s up to you, remove it before cooking or after, whichever way you find easier.
- Cooked salmon will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat in the oven at 320 for 5-10 minutes.
- The fishmonger (the person working behind the seafood counter) is there to help you! Don’t be afraid to ask them for exactly what you want. If you don’t know what you want tell them what you’re making or show them a recipe and they will point you in the right direction. They can also perform butchery tasks like removing pin bones, removing the skin, and portioning fish.
- When ordering salmon I always ask for “center cut.” The center cut is literally the center of the filet and the thickest part of the fish. I personally don’t care for the tail end, which is what they will usually try and give you if you don’t specify.
- Ask the fishmonger what’s freshest! They will let you know what came in that day or what’s from the day before. If the salmon doesn’t look great that day you can make this recipe with cod, halibut, or swordfish.
This was delicious. I’m so glad I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Thanks!
Tried it and was divine! I was wondering for next time…could you sub trout for the salmon? Would cooking time be the same?
Hi Clara, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. You can definitely use trout or any kind of fish really. If you’re using something like Rainbow Trout which tends to be very thin I suggest cutting back on the cooking time. Start with 20 minutes. You can cut back on some of the oil too. If you’re thinking of using something like Ocean Trout which is comparable to the size of a salmon filet you can keep the cooking time the same.
Sounds great, thanks so much!
250 degrees F? Or C?
Fahrenheit!