One of the easiest ways to bake salmon is to pan fry it briefly before putting it in the oven. Baked salmon receipes cooked this way are quick and easy. An easy baked salmon recipe just right for a mid week supper after work or as part of a dinner with friends. Try this baked salmon fillet recipe served with an unusual red wine sauce.

Ingredients - serves 6

• 6 x 150g/5oz Salmon Fillets, skin on
• 2 finely diced shallots
• 450ml/14floz full bodied red wine such as a Bordeaux
• 250g/8oz unsalted butter, diced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil

Method

Prepare the Red Wine sauce first.

Pour the wine into a pan with the diced shallots. Bring to the boil and reduce until you have about 3 tablespoons.
Turn the heat down to low and whisk in the diced butter until it becomes emulsified with the red wine reduction, don let it boil. Season with salt to taste and take off the heat.

The sauce can be reheated gently when needed.

The Salmon

Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan with an ovenproof handle over a high heat.

Cut 3 diagonal slashes into the skin of each salmon fillet, brush with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the salmon skin side down in the frying pan and sear for 3 or 4 minutes. When golden brown, turn over and quickly cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 6 minutes or until done to your liking. Try not to overcook the baked salmon or it will be dry and tasteless.

Serve the salmon skin side up with the warm red wine sauce poured around it and a simple salad or steamed French beans on the side.

And there you have it, a healthy, quick, easy baked salmon dish with very little washing up - my kind of cooking.