Panko and Macadamia Nut Crusted Salmon

The Fairbanks Cookbook Club recommended the Panko-Crusted Salmon recipe in our adopted cookbook, "How Easy is That?". I really love my macadamia nut crusted salmon and it only made sense to combine both recipes. We all agree that salmon loves lemon and parsley. But salmon also loves nuts, panko crumbs and a dash of mustard...so this is a perfect match of ingredients coming together to deliver the most for our subsistence fish in Alaska. How funny that I took out a package from the freezer to find that they are all tails (Jim's favorite part of the fish).

2/3 cup panko crumbs (Japanese bread flakes)
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup finely minced macadamia nuts
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 TBSP. good olive oil (Yep...I paid $23 for a pint!)
4 - 6 to 8 oz fillets of salmon, skin on
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSP vegetable oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Heat the oven to 425. Mix together panko, parsley, nuts, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and stir the crumbs until they are evenly coated.

Spread salmon with mustard, then salt and pepper the fillets. Next, press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each fillet. The mustard will help the crumb mix to adhere.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a cast iron skillet. Add salmon skin side down and sear for 4 minutes...do not turn.

Transfer fish to a baking dish and bake in the oven for 7 minutes or until salmon is ALMOST done and panko is browned. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let fish rest for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.