Herb Roasted Salmon...Inspired by lunch at Perla's in Austin, Texas





One of our favorite afternoon activities during the summer is to snuggle inside during the hottest part of the day and escape to destinations far and wide


...through Netflix.


We've been hooked on Anthony Bourdain's  "No Reservations" travel program and have made our way several times a week from Egypt to Sardinia and on to  Thailand...


and...to Austin, Texas.




Always looking for ways to incorporate more fish and seafood into our meals, I was intrigued by Anthony Bourdain's stop at Perla's Seafood restaurant in Austin, Texas.


During our weekend stay, when we indulged in Austin's food truck scene and the bbq delights of famous Franklins BBQ, we also stopped for a relaxing seafood meal at one of Bourdain's highlighted restaurants.






I was inspired after the weekend to continue preparing simple but flavorful fish recipes for our weeknight meals.


Salmon is always a favorite in our family when it comes to fish choices.  I used my big bag of Herbs de Provence that I carried back from France and generously coated the fish.


A good olive oil, herbs, and a squeeze of lime at the end and a moist, deliciously flavored salmon was ready for dinner.





Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar is located right on the main shopping stretch of the SoCo area of Austin.  


The huge front deck is so inviting.  The shade of huge oak trees surrounding the restaurant offer a cool haven from the hot summer streets of Austin.




Amidst the western influence of the city lies this delicious seafood restaurant brightly colored with nautical blues, reds, and yellows.


Perla's looks like it belongs on the coast of Maine or tucked away in Sausalito rather that right in the middle of Austin, Texas.






But we sometimes forget that with the Gulf of Mexico just to our south, that seafood can be a delicious option here in Texan country.  And, the oysters on the half shell and red snapper I ate was indeed delicious.




Perla's is known for their ultra-fresh oysters, flown in from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.  The atmosphere is laid-back and unpretentious...a wonderful respite from the heat of the summer pavement.




Perla's seafood dishes are simple but flavorful and most importantly...fresh.  


After all of our dabbling in the fun and craziness of the food truck scene in Austin, it was nice to sit down, watch the bustling shoppers on SoCo Street and enjoy a healthy seafood meal.




There was so much on the menu that I wanted to try...I'll have to leave those options for the next trip.  


The Crab Cake Sammie on house-baked brioche sounded like a fantastic sandwich option.  I missed out on the lobster stock, cheddar, and green onion grits.  Those are high on my list of selections for next time.





More fish dishes are queued up for easy weeknight dinners at our house.  I'm intrigued by the simplicity of the preparations at Perla's.  I would like to combine more flavors of fresh ingredients with more fish and seafood options inspired by a wonderful lunch in Austin.


Herb Roasted Salmon with Lime
(serves 4)


4 whole salmon filets
Herbs de Provence
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1 lime (juice only)


Rub salmon filets with olive oil on all sides.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to season the fish.  Heat a pan on the stove top on medium-high with a generous pouring of olive oil.  When oil is hot (but not smoking) lay each filet skin side up.


Preheat oven to 350˚F

Let salmon sear and caramelize before trying to flip it over on the other side.  When it can be flipped over without sticking to the pan, flip the salmon filets onto the skin side.


Take pan and slide it into the oven for 5 minutes.  Remove pan from oven.  Serve salmon on plates immediately with a squeeze of lime juice over each filet. Simple and fresh!

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