Weeknight
Mustard Salmon with Roasted Grapes
A short roast turns grapes jammy while the salmon stays moist. The mustard is a thin coat, not a crust.
Allergens: Fish is the main allergen. Dijon often contains wine; check the jar if that matters in your kitchen. Honey is a bee product.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each, skin on or off
- 2 cups red grapes, stems removed
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 thyme sprigs
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Pat the fillets dry and set them on one side of the pan with space between them.
- Stir the mustard, oil, melted butter, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush a thin layer over the top of each fillet. You may not need every drop.
- Tumble the grapes onto the empty side of the pan and toss them with any remaining mustard mixture and the thyme sprigs.
- Roast 14 to 16 minutes, until the grapes have burst in places and the salmon flakes at the thickest point but still looks slightly translucent in the very center. It will finish as it rests.
- Rest 3 minutes on the pan. Spoon burst grapes and their juice over the fillets. Discard the woody thyme stems.
Storage
Cooked salmon is best the day it is roasted. Leftovers can be chilled and flaked cold onto a salad the next day. Do not reheat them hard or they dry out.
Kitchen notes
Skin-on fillets can go skin side down so the skin crisps against the pan. If the skin sticks, slide a thin spatula under it after the rest. Seedless grapes are simpler to eat, but seeded grapes taste fine if you do not mind the seeds.
Pull the salmon a minute early if your fillets are thin. A 1-inch center needs the full 16 minutes; a thin tail piece may be done at 12. The grapes are your timer as much as the clock: once several have split, start checking the fish.
Kitchen notes, not medical advice. These pages describe how to cook food. They do not diagnose, treat, or promise any health result. If you have an allergy or need a specific eating pattern, follow the advice of a qualified professional.