Slow-Roasted Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze and Scallions

Slow-roasting is a technique that can be applied to almost any fish, but it's especially good with salmon. Just turn down the oven heat and cook for slightly longer than usual.

The total time is still minimal, but the result is a true revelation: tender, silky wedges of salmon, easily cut with a spoon. Serve the salmon on top of lightly seasoned greens, and you have a meal that appeals to the eyes and to the palate.

The Best Salmon for Slow-Roasted Salmon

When buying your fish, look for a center-cut piece salmon. This part of the fillet has the same thickness throughout, which ensures that the whole piece will cook evenly. If you're buying your fish at a fish counter, just ask the person helping you for a center-cut piece.

While you are at it, ask them to remove the skin and any pin bones. Removing the skin means that side can absorb some of the glaze during cooking, and pin bones can be annoying to pull out yourself at home. (It's also fine to cook the salmon with the skin on; it just won't get quite as flavorful throughout.)

If you end up needing remove the pin bones yourself, try this trick: Lay the salmon on top of an upside-down bowl so the fish is convex. Run your fingers along the length of the fish to find the bones—you'll feel them poking up out of the salmon, nearly perpendicular to the surface and spaced an inch or so apart. Use tweezers or needle nose pliers to firmly grasp the tip of each pin bone and smoothly pull them out.

This is a fantastic and fancy-looking meal for company, but it's also a great weeknight dinner option. You can coat the fish with the glaze several hours in advance, refrigerate it, and roast it later. It can also be served at warm, room temperature, or even cold.

The ease of preparation can be your own little secret!

How To Remove Pin Bones

Place a bowl upside down on a cutting board and cover with a paper towel to keep the fish from sliding. Lay the fish on top of the bowl. Run your fingers down the length of the fish to find the pin bones. With tweezers or needle nose pliers, firmly grasp the bone ends and pull them out. Dip the tweezers in a cup of water as you work to rinse away bits of bone and make it easier to grasp the next one.

A Note About Buying Salmon

According to Prevention Magazine, wild-caught salmon has half the fat of farm-raised salmon and is not plagued by contaminants that might be found in farm-raised salmon. Wild salmon is also much higher in nutrients, such as calcium, iron and zinc, and has less salt. That said, both wild and farmed salmon are good for you. My personal preference is for wild salmon, when I can find it.