Recently at the Saturday morning farmers’ market in Decatur, we picked up some fresh eggs from a local farm. You might ask, “now what does that have to do with salmon?” Thanks for asking, because I’m having a heck of a time getting this post started! Well, I’m not a big egg-eater so I needed to come up with some other uses for the eggs. Also, I have a bottle of great-tasting olive oil from Kasandrino’s …eggs plus olive oil equals mayonnaise! (I’m getting to the salmon…) Next thing you know, I have a big jar of homemade, lemony mayonnaise with no real plans for using it. (As you can see, I was not thinking too far ahead last week.) Thankfully I ran across a sale on salmon and put the mayo to great use!
Coating the salmon with a mixture of mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese and oven-roasting it resulted in an unbelievably moist, buttery fish with all kinds of good flavors. I will be making this again…and soon!
This basic mayonnaise recipe does not make a very thick mayonnaise, since I use the whole egg instead of just the yolks. You can also adjust the taste of the mayonnaise to your preference, by trying different oils and different acids (vinegars, lemon or lime juice, etc.), or adding herbs. Go crazy with it!
Ingredients for Salmon
- 16-20 ounces salmon fillet(s), skin on
- Kosher salt/ freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, preferably homemade
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- additional Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- a few dashes of sweet paprika
Ingredients for Basic Olive Oil Mayonnaise
- 2 whole eggs, at room temperature(*See Note below)
- 1 to 1 1/4 cup oil (I used 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup almond oil)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, or pepper blend, to taste (I like Florida Seasoned Pepper…citrusy!)
*Note: For thicker mayonnaise, use 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
Mayonnaise Instructions:
Place the eggs in a blender or small food processor. Blend the eggs alone for around a minute, so they will be ready to adsorb the oil. Add lemon juice, dry mustard and salt, and mix in with the eggs. With the blender running, SLOWLY start adding the oil, a few drops at a time, until the liquid begins to thicken up some; then you can start adding the oil in a thin, steady stream. Continue blending until all the oil is incorporated. Season the mayonnaise with salt and pepper, to taste.
**Raw Egg Warning… to reduce the risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness, use only fresh, clean eggs with intact shells, from a trusted source. Avoid contact of egg white/egg yolk with outer shell.
Salmon Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Line a shallow roasting pan with foil. Rinse the salmon with cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels, and place in roasting pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Mix the mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Spread completely over the salmon. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese on top, and add a few dashes of sweet paprika.
Roast for 12-14 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon). Remove from oven; carefully slide a wide spatula between the skin and meat to separate from the skin, and serve!
When you experience as much music as I do, you cultivate a healthy list of artists you need to listen to, but haven’t yet. One of mine was Roberta Flack. Sure, I had heard her for years on the radio, but never actually listened to an album. Boy, that was a mistake! We put on First Take
Her newest release, Let It Be Roberta – Roberta Flack Sings The Beatles
she cooks...he cleans 
We finally decided to make homemade mayo, and I have some on hand right now…I think it might be a toss-up between this and crab cakes!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I used plain non-fat greek yogurt instead of mayo. I added a bit of olive oil to it, though. My husband and 4 year old son loved it, too! Thanks for making me look like a gourmet chef!
Thanks, Tabitha! I just love recipes that come out looking beautiful without having to fuss over it!
making this tonight…got a laugh out of your blog title…at our house it’s he cooks, she cleans 🙂
Hope you enjoyed the salmon! As long as someone is cooking and someone is cleaning, it will work out. 🙂
just made this like 5 min ago, and i am now converted to homemade mayo, never made it b4 but i am a changed woman! this recipe was so yummy! thank you from the bottom of my stomach for this deliciousness!!
I was hesitant to make homemade mayo for a long time, but it really is worth the effort. Thanks for commenting!
Looks delish! Can’t wait to try this. Oh and if you have a stick blender, toss all your mayo ingredients in a jar and blend! Mayo in under a minute!
I so want to try this now. Think I’ll make it on the Big Green Egg using a cedar plank, though. Bet that would be good. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely LOVE this salmon recipe!!! Thank you!!
I finally got around to trying this last night and really enjoyed. I cooked it on my grill instead of in the oven (I’m gonna have to play around with temps to get it right) and used some apple wood chips for a bit of smoke. It didn’t come out perfect (but that’s just because of transitioning a recipe from an oven to a grill) but pretty darn good. I’ll toy around with it a bit until I get it right. Thanks again for sharing it and when I get it down right and get a good picture, I’ll let ya know
Sounds wonderful! I’ll look forward to hearing the secret for grilling them – I appreciate your advice, since salmon can be tricky on the grill!
Made this last night. It was wonderful. I was so proud of my homemade mayo. I added lemon pepper seasoning. It was scrumptious
Homemade mayonnaise is an amazing thing…lemon pepper sounds like a great addition. Thanks for commenting, Tami!
Excellent recipe! Thank you! We found it on pinterest. I have recommended it to others.
Thank you, and thanks for the recommendations!
I made this tonight, and it was really tasty! Thank you for sharing
Thank you, Susan! Happy to hear that you liked it!
I made this for diner tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I used mayo made with grape seed oil and followed the instructions. Thank you for sharing the recipe. This one is a definite keeper.
Wonderful, Maureen! It’s a favorite around here too. Thanks for commenting!
I’m looking to make this for dinner tonight seeing as I have all the ingredients at home and it sounds amazing! I actually bake my chicken the same way but add bread crumbs. I do have a question; The salmon filets I already have at home do not have the skin on them, will this make a difference?
It shouldn’t make much difference with skin on or skin off – I’m sure I have done it both ways. However you may want to put some oil on the foil underneath the salmon to help keep it from sticking. Hope you enjoy it, Kristina!
This was really good and I cheated and used store bought mayo. I would try homemade mayo when I have more time. I paired it with creamed spinach. I will be eating this a couple times a month.
Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes I cheat and use store-bought mayo too. 😉 Thanks, Kelly!
I also usd store bought mayo, but it was made with olive oil. I really enjoyed this meal, thank you. I’m eating healthier and this was a easy dish that my kids even loved !
I included this recipe in my 10 favorite fast and easy dinner recipes roundup. Come by and check it out and grab a button if you like! http://www.missloviecreations.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-favorite-things-thursday-10-favorite.html
Thank you, Allie! We appreciate it!
How long does your homemade mayo typically keep in the fridge? We aren’t big users of mayo around here but when I do use it, I’d love to know what’s truly in it (and no added sugar!)
Most sources I can find say it is good in the refrigerator for about a week. We don’t use much mayo either, so I try to make the smallest amount possible and store it in a clean, lidded jar. I also know that I have used it beyond a week, but I live dangerously and can’t recommend that anyone try that!
I just got back from Lake Ontario and caught some beautiful salmon out in 70 feet of water and the salmon look beautiful.Silver,green and pink.Girl i work with is from near Russia and told me about cooking salmon with mayo and spices.I am cooking it right now and it smells great,cant wait to eat!!!
This recipe is hueckuv good and simple!
Thank you, heckuva much!
mine came out runny, I thought maybe because I used my kitchen aid mixer so I looked it up. I followed the suggestions to fix it and it started to thicken and then still ended up thin….at this point can I make it into a ceasar dressing or something? I used some really expensive oil, and hate to have to throw it out.
It still might be fixable, although it takes a great amount of patience. I have successfully fixed a mayo that “broke” by starting over with another egg yolk, then slowly drizzling in the mess of the broken sauce. I’ve never tried using a mixer, but a blender, handblender, or food processor all work.
That being said, there is nothing “bad” about the broken mayo except its awful appearance. You should be able to use it for a dressing, or as a substitute for eggs and oil in baking a cake or something. Good luck! Sorry it didn’t work out…that happens sometimes to everyone!
Made this tonight. Soooooo good! It will definitely be a part of my regular salmon recipe rotation.
It’s way too easy to be that good, isn’t it? Thanks, Jackie!
Reading this I am realizing it is much too long ago since I have made mayo 🙂 What a fabulous recipe!
This is one of my favorite and EASY recipes. Been dieting and YES this is made every week now ! Thanx
Sounds delish
just made this for lunch, delic! thanks for the recipe I think ill ALWAYS make salmon this way now!
Simple and very good !
I would try homemade mayo next time.
Fantastic recipe , I love it …. It’s delicious my new way of making salmon.
Thank you, Angela! It is our favorite as well!
Okay, I made the homemade mayo and thought I was following the directions exactly and it seemed to take like I was tasting plain olive oil! It was thick enough, but it didn’t taste anything like a mayo, only like oil. I slowly put in the whole cup so now I am wondering if that was just too much. I am sort of disappointed because olive oil is so pricey. Anyhow, I used regular mayonnaise and continued to make the salmon. It came out really good but next time I might use another bloggers suggestion and make it with greek yougurt instead.
Sorry that didn’t work out for you. I used 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 another type of oil (as in instructions)..but personally I like the taste of olive oil in mayonnaise. Other than that, this is a standard mayonnaise recipe (based on one from Julia Child).
Reblogged this on Steve Richer and commented:
Tried and tested – delicious!
Thank you for this recipe! It was juicy, tender and delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it! ❤
Excellent – I dolled up Trader Joe’s organic mayo with lemon zest and a few red pepper flakes.
I used lite mayo and it came out fabulous. I couldn’t believe the compliments I received for such a simple dish. THANK You
I would suggest adding some fresh chopped dill to the mayo. Dill with salmon is never wrong.
Excellent suggestion for people who like dill. (I don’t personally care for it.) Other herbs and spices will work as well. I often mix in a bit of dry rub for grilled salmon with the mayo. Thanks for commenting, Todd!
Favorite dry rubs: The Spice House Dry Rub, Dizzy Pig’s Raging River Rub, or Tom Douglas “Rub With Love” Salmon Rub
I made this tonight for our family of four. My husband, who is not a salmon lover, asked if he could take leftovers to work for lunch. My two sons who are salmon lovers gobbled it down so fast I couldn’t believe it! One of the things that I would note is that the parmesan has enough salt where next time I probably will not salt the fish. I added a little garlic powder to the mayonnaise mixture and it was superb! This is something that we will have again!
Made this for lunch today. Hubby said it was the best salmon he has ever ate. And don’t lose the recipe. Thank you so much.
And it’s so easy too, right? So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for dinner- it’s a winner! I loved the mayo recipe. While the oven was preheating, I put cold eggs from the refrigerator in a glass of very hot water to warm them up. Then I used a blender to blend the eggs for one minute and then added ingredients as listed. The hardest part is to add the oil very slowly. Here’s a trick. If you have a Cuisinart that has this circular insert in the pusher you’ll notice there’s a very tiny hole on the bottom. That is designed to add oil at proper rate for making mayo and holindaise. I poured the oil through that part into the blender. Perfect texture! Great recipe.