One-Pan Roasted Salmon with Broccoli and Red Potatoes

The combination of salmon, broccoli, and red potatoes makes for a wonderful meal. But how to cook them all on one pan without any one component coming out overcooked or undercooked was a puzzle we needed to solve. Our first step was to look at the roasting time for each. Since the potatoes required the most time in the oven and the salmon required the least, we started by roasting the potatoes and broccoli together for the first half of the cooking time and then swapped in the salmon for the broccoli halfway through roasting. Cooking in stages prevents overcrowding the pan, ensuring even cooking. A vibrant sauce of chopped chives, whole-grain mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, and honey completes this one-pan meal. To ensure that all three components emerge from the oven well browned and cooked just right, we roast the potatoes the entire time on the baking sheet (they take the longest) but remove the broccoli before placing the salmon fillets on the sheet.

Ingredients

• 4 (6- to 8-ounce) center-cut skinless salmon fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick

• 2 teaspoons plus 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled, halved (Use small red potatoes measuring 1 to 2 inches in diameter for this recipe.)

• 1 pound broccoli florets, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives

• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon honey

• Lemon wedges

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, then rub all over with 2 teaspoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

2. Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Toss potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Arrange potatoes cut side down on half of sheet. Toss broccoli, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in now-empty bowl. Arrange broccoli on other half of sheet.

3. Roast until potatoes are light golden brown and broccoli is dark brown on bottom, 22 to 24 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.

4. Meanwhile, combine chives, mustard, lemon juice, honey, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, pinch salt, and pinch pepper in bowl; set chive sauce aside.

5. Remove sheet from oven and transfer broccoli to platter, browned side up; cover with foil to keep warm. Using spatula, remove any bits of broccoli remaining on sheet. (Leave potatoes on sheet.)

6. Place salmon skinned side down on now-empty side of sheet, spaced evenly. Place sheet in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees. Bake until centers of fillets register 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 11 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer potatoes and salmon to platter with broccoli. Serve with lemon wedges and chive sauce.

WHEN IS SALMON DONE?

We like to serve salmon medium-rare, when the center of the fillet registers 125 degrees.

• UNDERCOOKED: Fish is soft and translucent from edge to center.

• JUST RIGHT: Fish is moist throughout with a slightly translucent interior.

• OVERCOOKED: Opaque flesh means the fish is flaky and dry.

America's Test Kitchen Video:
How Wild Salmon Differs from Farmed Salmon and How to Cook Salmon to the Right Temperature