Instructions

1. Center an oven rack and set the oven to heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While it's usually preferable to cook fish at a higher heat for less time, a lower temperature helps prevent the breading from getting scorched before the fish is safely cooked through.

2. Rinse off your salmon steak or fillet under cold running water. Make sure there are no scales stuck to the flesh of the fish. Dab it dry thoroughly but gently with paper towels.

3. Prepare a bread coating for the salmon. Use breadcrumbs as the base; consider Japanese panko for a crunchy breading. In a bowl, mix in some salt and pepper to taste. Coarse kosher salt or sea salt helps add texture, too, as does coarsely ground, freshly cracked black pepper. Include other desired seasonings, such as grated Parmesan cheese, thyme, rosemary, dill or even finely chopped pistachios or pecans. Spread the breading out over a plate.

4. Coat the salmon to help the breading stick to it. For a flavorful option, mix a little cooking oil into Dijon mustard and brush a thin layer over the flesh of the salmon. To keep it simple, it suffices to brush the fish with cooking oil or melted butter. For more substantial breading that includes chopped nuts, beat an egg, submerge the salmon in it and let the excess drip off. Pat the breading over all of the flesh.

5. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly oil it to prevent sticking. Put the salmon on, skin-side down if you have a fillet, and put it into the oven. Bake it until its flesh becomes opaque through to the middle and it flakes readily when pressed with a fork. Depending on the thickness of the steak or fillet, expect it to take somewhere in the vicinity of 20 minutes.