As I have mentioned before, although I have grown up in the USA, my family is from the state of West Bengal, India. Bengalis are notorious for their love of seafood. During my childhood, fish curry was a staple. However, when we went out to dinner as a family, my parents rarely ordered fish. They claimed that because of the lack of strong Indian spices, American preparations of fish were “too fishy” for them. Over the years, I have developed a strong love for seafood, be it Indian, American, or Japanese (I hold sushi very dear to my heart). Today I would like to share an American recipe for salmon that is quick, easy, and just the right amount of “fishy” for me.

1. To make the marinade, mix 1 bunch of chopped cilantro, 2 tbsp garlic paste, 1/4^th cup of fresh lemon juice and ½ cup of olive oil.
2. Season 4 salmon steaks with salt. Then coat the salmon in the marinade and place in the refrigerator in an air tight container or zip lock bag. Ideally refrigerate overnight but if that is not possible, marinate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Once the salmon is done marinating, preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
4. Transfer the salmon steaks to a baking dish in one layer and pour the left over marinade on top of the salmon.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish is flaky but still moist. Baking it for too long will make the salmon too dry.

The Bengali in me will instinctively want to pair this salmon with rice but I try to replace the rice with quinoa or couscous when I can.