Slow Roasted Salmon with Chives and Lemon

It used to be so awkward for me to ​pull out my camera every time I cooked a new recipe. I would carry plates all over the house to find the best lighting.  I would keep the dog from eating off the plate with one hand while attempting to focus my lens with the other.  📷🐶 It took me a long time to work out the best time and place for me to snap food pictures.  It took my family an even longer time to get used to the fact that there would be a 10 minute delay after I announced that a meal was "ready".  

Ah, the early days of food blogging.  Fortunately, all of my trepidation about photographing food has gone by the wayside.  After 7 years, I have no apprehension about taking someone's dinner plate outside on the deck and spending 10 minutes trying to capture the contents in the best light.  I've been food blogging for so long now that photographing food just comes as second nature.  It actually seems weird to fix a meal and NOT photograph it.  On average, I probably take 30-40 pictures of each recipe that I post.  I bet I have 20 times more food pictures on my computer than anything else.  What does that say about me?  😂

I spend so much time with my camera these days that it's become an extension of my hand.   When my kids were in school, I would photograph all of their sporting events.  NOT because I was that interested in capturing every moment of every wrestling match and soccer game, but because having a professional looking camera in my hand allowed me access to be closer to the field and more importantly, got me out of the bleachers full of screaming parents. 💁🏻‍♀️There was more than one occasion when I had a dead camera battery but I pretended to take pictures just to avoid sitting in the stands next to parents who were yelling insulting comments to their children.  😬 

My camera has gotten me out of more than one sticky situation but it's also gotten to me in trouble a few times.  I'll never forget being asked to leave the grocery store for taking pictures of the pretty displays.  😂🙄😳 This camera and I have been on a lot of adventures together.  We've covered a lot of miles and a lot of smiles together.  

I'm still working on my landscape and portrait photography because I still feel most comfortable photographing food.  I can control shadows, there's no wiggling, awkward smiles or complaining.  So here I am in my comfort zone - photopgrahing the prettiest of all fish - salmon.  I hope that you enjoy this slow roasted salmon recipe as much as we did.

Slow Roasted Salmon with Chives and Lemon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 pound salmon filet
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoon fresh chives, sliced
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Combine sugar, 1 t. salt and pepper.  

Sprinkle over salmon. 

Place salmon, flesh side up, in a 9x13" baking dish.  ​Roast 55-60 minutes at 250.

Combine oil, chives, lemon zest, juice and 1/2 t. salt. 

Pour oil over salmon.  Let rest 5 minutes. 

Serve salmon.  Spooning any remaining juices over fish on plate. 

If you've got some great food photography tips - I'd love to hear them.  Send me an email or comment your best pointers for food styling and photography.  TIA

​Ciao!

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