Salmon, gefilte and herring — the lighter side of Friday night.
Salmon, and the number that matters
The usual mistake is thirty seconds too long. Roast at 400°F until the thickest part reads 125–130°F and the very centre still looks translucent — it keeps cooking after it leaves the oven. Skin down, surface dry, and don't move it around.
Cooked, cured, or straight from the fillet
Grilled and cured salmon come ready to plate, which is what most Fridays actually call for. A fresh fillet is for the night you want the kitchen to smell like something.
The gefilte question
Sweet or salt-and-pepper is the oldest argument at the table, and it's regional rather than right or wrong — sweet leans Polish, salt-and-pepper leans Litvish. Slice cold, straight through the log, and serve with chrein.
Herring, three ways
Choose for contrast rather than quantity: one creamy, one schmaltz or matjes, one with heat. Cold, with crackers and raw onion. Nothing else needed.
The breaded end
Breaded lemon sole is a twelve-minute dinner out of the freezer, and it does far better in a hot oven than in a pan.