How Joanna Gaines Makes More Flavorful Weeknight Salmon

Getting the most out of your seafood is important, especially for fish like salmon. Beyond storing and maintaining salmon properly, other, more minute techniques can be applied prior to throwing the fish in the oven or on the stove to maximize its flavor. Few people know this better than Joanna Gaines, author of the "Magnolia Table" cookbook series and host of the "Magnolia Table" TV series on the Food Network. Gaines is known for her modern recipes and kitchen tricks, but her tip for making salmon more flavorful is one of our favorites. 

What's the trick? Well, similar to when you want to make your pickled cucumbers more flavorful, the best course of action is to make sure all your seasonings seep into the salmon by cutting slits into the fish before you cook it. While this trick might seem simple, the results that come with it can make your at-home fish nights better than ever.

Gaines shared this tip as a part of her weeknight salmon recipe, which has you cook the salmon by baking it on a pan in the oven rather than searing it on the stove. She recommends making two 1-inch slits that are ¼-inch deep into the orange, fleshy side of the salmon. From there, Gaines recommends adding olive oil, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic salt, kosher salt, and some lemon juice. Gaines' recipe calls for the entire cooking process to be done skin-side down, allowing the flesh side of the fish to take in all the dry heat from the oven.

While the recipe will teach you how to make a juicy and flavorful entrée, puncturing the salmon like this before seasoning it is a trick that can benefit your cooked salmon regardless of what recipe you're following. So, if you have a personal favorite salmon recipe, whether it's baked, seared, or grilled with the skin on, try Joanna Gaines' trick and see how much of a difference such a small change can make.