The Condiment That's Key To Ina Garten's Panko-Crusted Baked Salmon

Baked salmon is a nutrient-dense entree that pairs well with many different side dishes, making it a versatile and wholesome component of a well-rounded recipe. Although many seasonings can upgrade a salmon filet, if you want to cook one like a pro, look to none other than Ina Garten, whose book, "Barefoot Contessa, How Easy Is That?" spills the tea on her favorite way to handle the fickle fish: The world-renowned chef likes her baked salmon encrusted with panko breadcrumbs, which is fairly common. Under that layer of crunchy, carb-loaded goodness, however, is a generous layer of mustard. Although it might sound unconventional, mustard and panko-kissed baked salmon work together like a lock and key.

When baking panko-crusted salmon, Garten combines breadcrumbs with parsley, lemon zest, and oil while seasoning her salmon with her favorite salt and a flurry of black pepper. Before introducing the panko, she lathers the filet with mustard to enhance its oceanic flavor with a touch of peppery, pungent goodness that pierces the fatty richness of the fish with a bold but never brash intensity, giving each forkful a more complex and intriguing flavor profile. Adding mustard to salmon before baking it isn't just for the sake of developing new layers, it's also a practical and necessary step. Mustard is a food binder, which helps secure the herb-tinted breadcrumbs to the surface of the salmon and prevents them from knocking loose like a kicked sand rolling down a dune. 

Mustard isn't a solitary ingredient — it comes in many different shades of flavor. Although each type can glue a zippy batch of breadcrumbs to a salmon filet, the variety you select can impact the taste of the final dish. Consider your options before adding mustard to your favorite panko-studded baked salmon recipe.

Classic mustard will give you that familiar, punchy flavor that we love to bathe our hotdogs in and smother our burgers with. Pleasantly bitter and pointedly sharp, a classic bottle of yellow mustard is ideal for bringing that quintessential mustard flavor to your baked salmon. Dijon mustard, on the other hand, flaunts a zesty, sophisticated taste with a sharp tang, subtle heat, and nuanced bitterness that brings a complex elegance to a panko-crusted filet.

For a softer, more accessible flavor, honey mustard provides a gentle touch of sweetness that masks the bitterness of classic varieties and compliments the buttery taste of salmon. With top notes of heat, spicy varieties can also curb the astringent taste of classic mustard while infusing the lush taste of salmon with a zippy blast of fire.

To get a little extra crunch that blends well with the breadcrumbs, opt for whole-grain mustard. Although dry mustard should be a pantry staple in everyone's kitchen, wet mustard is essential for adhering the breadcrumbs to the fish. Next time you're planning a baked salmon dinner, think like Ina Garten and bust out your favorite mustard.