Herb Crusted Salmon for Joy, Love, and Friendly Mischief | Sara's Kitchen Witchcraft

Nothing better than salmon on a summer night!

Jump to Recipe | Jump to Witchcraft

I'll be a thousand percent honest with you: salmon always used to be one of those foods where, the more I ate it, the weirder it tasted. The first bite was delicious, the second bite pretty good, the third alright, until I eventually didn't really want to finish the fish. Why?

Because people kept cooking it in really intense, sweet, sticky sauces and overcooked it to hell and back. These two things made for very little salmon in my life for a long time, save for raw in sushi (because my God, is there anything more luxurious than a little piece of soft, delicate salmon with rice and a bit of wasabi?). However, salmon doesn't need to be that way, and this bit of herb crusted salmon here proves that. (Though I should note: crusted doesn't mean there are breadcrumbs. It means we're baking the herbs directly onto the surface of the fish.)

Light, flavorful, and a great use of the herbs in your summer garden, this meal does it all while providing us with such incredible magic from oregano, basil, thyme, and salmon (and lemon, too, if you're eating this with friends and want that extra boost of kinship). So let's take a look!

Magic in Herb Crusted Salmon

So did you know that salmon has all kinds of interesting folklore surrounding it? From being a mischievous, slippery creature that could escape all kinds of danger to being a creature that, even just by tasting the oil it was cooked in, could bless people with gifts of prophecy and foresight, it's apparently a pretty big deal across the world. And here, when you pair it with the herbs and lemon it's cooked with, it makes for a dish that imbues your evening with the very essence of summertime fun, mischief, and love—something that anyone can appreciate.

Jupiter for luck and wisdom, Mars for fighting spirit, and Venus for all that love and beauty and good energy give us a quick, easy, and magically potent meal. Along with that, the elements of air, fire, and water bring in flowing communication, a spark of fun, and plenty of open, honest hearts to gather around with. This meal is perfect for summer dinner parties, being so light and full of fresh herbs and lemony goodness, and it's bound to have your guests leaving satisfied—both in terms of their hunger for food and their hunger for a lighthearted, good time with friends.

Herb Crusted Salmon

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

For Fish:

• 3 large Salmon Fillets (1lb)

• 1 Tbsp fresh oregano

• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme

• 1 Tbsp fresh basil

• 1 lemon

• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

• Salt & Pepper to taste

For Broccoli Veggie Side:

• 2 cups frozen broccoli

• 1 onion, sliced

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

• (Optional) 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Slice onion and set aside. (If using pine nuts: toast in a pan until fragrant and set aside.)

3. Thaw broccoli in microwave.

4. Strip all herb leaves from their stem and chop together.

5. Juice 1 lemon, reserving 3 intact slices for topping the fish

6. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs in a bowl.

7. Lay fish skin side down in a baking dish, then top with the herb mix.

8. Lay one slice of lemon over each filet.

9. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish reaches a temperature of 145 degrees.

10. While fish is baking, cook onions until soft, then add seasonings and broccoli, cooking for another 3 minutes.

11. Add balsamic vinegar and cook until liquid begins to thicken, then toss in pine nuts.

12. Serve alongside your choice of rice or boiled potatoes.

It's so simple, so quick, and so delicious! If you have a grill, you might also try wrapping these herby filets in tin foil and popping them in there so you can avoid firing up the oven, but it really doesn't take all that long to get cooked and get back out onto the table. Try it out sometime! ♥

---

Other Recipes You May Like:

---

Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.

Follow Sara on Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube, and explore her fiction writing here.