• First, what is broiling? Whether it's a gas flame or electric coil, the heat source comes from ABOVE the food. So set your dial to BROIL, not bake. For fish, "High" is the best setting. Do this first to get it preheating.

• Here's the inside of my oven. You can see the broiler coil getting red-hot. Position your rack so your pan will sit about 4" below the coil or flame. (It's a good idea to set your racks before you turn on the broiler.) Yes, I know my oven needs a clean, thanks for pointing that out. 

• Now before any food endeavor, what do we do? That's right. Wash our hands.

1 - How to Broil Salmon

• Here's my beautiful piece of salmon. I've got about 1 3/4 lbs. Enough for 4 portions. Your mileage may vary.

• Just like our hands, we rinse the fish. Lord knows who's been handling that. Blot dry with paper towels.

• Now this step is important even if your fish is already filleted. Run your finger along all the seams to feel for bones. You don't want to be choking anyone.

• Aha! Found one. I'm using some special fish tweezers here to pull it out. You can also use some (clean) household tweezers or even a pair of metal tongs. Fingers also work in a pinch.

• Gotcha!

• Now flip that fish over and run your fingers over the skin, pressing down lightly. You're checking for scales. Ew. NO ONE wants to eat those! Aren't you glad you checked?

• I've cut my fish into 4 equal pieces.

• Now it's time to flavor the fish. Fresh herbs. Dried herbs. Spices. So many possibilities....

• For today we'll keep it simple and classic. An olive oil drizzle, salt and pepper, and fresh dill. I'll also use lemon two ways with it, although any citrus would work.

• Line your broiler pan with aluminum foil. No broiler pan? No problem. Use a cookie sheet. Even a stainless steel or cast iron skillet will work. The foil just makes clean-up a breeze.

• Spray foil with cooking spray or drizzle some olive oil on the foil so fish doesn't stick. Lay your filets down.

• Here's a little trick. The tail end of the filet is always a bit thinner than the middle portions so it cooks faster. I tuck the end under itself so it will cook at the same rate as the thicker portions.

• Here's a good look at that.

• Drizzle filets with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt. If you did nothing else, these would be ready to go under the hot broiler.

• But we're going to add some fresh black pepper....except for my daughter's piece. (She hates that stuff.)

• Chop up some fresh dill and sprinkle that on. (Dried will work too.)

• I also grated a little lemon zest (just the yellow part - not the white pith) over the filets. This will give it a nice zing.

• Ah, my pretties! All ready to go.

• For extra credit, I'm throwing in a couple halved tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. They will broil alongside the salmon on the same pan. Multi-tasking. In they go.

• I checked about 4 minutes later, and they were still pale and pallid. Not done. But keep a close watch. You don't want to overcook these. The general rule for broiling fish is about 10 minutes per inch, but it totally depends on your circumstances... how hot your broiler gets, how close your fish are to the heat source, whether you have a flame or an electric coil, what type of fish and how dense it is, not to mention the portion size and how many you are crowding in there. Better to check earlier, rather than later.

• After about 9 minutes, they were perfectly broiled. Slightly golden with crispy edges, yet still yielding and soft to the touch.

• Here she is all plated up. I'm squeezing some of that fresh lemon juice right over the top of the salmon. It will complement those crispy lemon zest bits.

• The salmon is cooked through, yet still incredibly moist. I served it with the broiled tomato, a rice blend and a quick yogurt-cucumber sauce (tzatziki) I made while it was broiling. 

• Broiled Salmon with Lemon and Dill. Simple. Classic. Delicious.

• Broiled Salmon with lemon and dill. It's what's for dinner. Don't forget to check out my tzatziki recipe to go with it

2 - How to Make Salmon Steamed 

• I find this is the simplest way to cook salmon, and it always comes out flavorful and delicious! Clean up is a breeze, and when you steam it in the oven, there is not much odor residual from the fish cooking.
• Serve right out of the oven, room temperature, or cold. All YUM!
• Steamed salmon...

• I start with a large sheet of foil, large enough to "tent' the salmon fillets, and keep it from spilling over. If it is too much for one sheet, make two packets. 
• I give it a light shot of cooking spray, then pour table oil around the fish, maybe about 1/4 inch (or less). I give it a healthy sprinkle of sea salt, ground pepper and dried dill. Then, top with lemon slices. into the oven for about 20 minutes at 375. (keep checking, no need to over-cook)

• When it comes out, it will be a lighter color overall. if you stick a knife in the center, it should be cooked almost through. remember, it will continue to cook once it has been removed from the oven, so a teensy bit of bright pink is still ok.

• Perfect centerpiece to a simple/elegant dinner. 

• Leftovers are perfecct for lunchbox the next day!?