Salmόn con Mostaza, or Mustard Salmon is a popular entrée in our crowd. It combines two favorite ingredients in Hispanic cooking. This was always not so. Back in the island of Puerto Rico, mustard was not a regular cooking item. It was with the Puerto Rican migration to the Northeast coast, particularly New York City, that mustard came into our preview. Hot dogs and burgers with mustard filtered into our cuisine. Before long, we started experimenting with it in such dishes as Mustard Salmon.

True to our heritage, back on the block, we served it with rice, or potatoes. Today you can pair it with quinoa, or couscous, or even pasta. The possibilities are endless. So, enjoy a dish long favored by us and, now it seems, by everyone with an adventurous palate.

SALMÓN CON MOSTAZA
(Mustard Salmon)

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets, about 6-ounce each
Juice of 2 lemons, washed and sliced thinly
1 teaspoon mustard, preferably Dijon
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ cup chopped scallions

Instructions:

  1. Wash fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Combine lemon juice, mustard, oregano, olive oil and scallions in a small bowl or cup.
  3. Place fillets in a large zip-lock bag. Add lemon-mustard mix and marinate for at least 2 hours in refrigerator. You can shake bag once or twice while marinating to distribute the flavor.
  4. Place fillets, with marinade, in a baking dish or pan (we prefer cast-iron) and bake for 12-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillets) at 375 degrees F. For 1-inch fillets, 12 minutes is usually sufficient, while thicker cuts might need closer to 15 minutes. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
    Yield: 4 servings.