This roasted dill salmon is a thing of beauty

"I have made this numerous times and it is one of my favorite recipes," writes a reader.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 24, 2024 Naz Deravian's roasted dill salmon. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Why, hello there, roasted dill salmon By Mia Leimkuhler Is there anything more beautiful than a serving-platter-size piece of perfectly roasted salmon? (Well, sure: a tropical sunset, a $10 bill lying on the sidewalk, my dog.) A heavy fillet of salmon, its fattiness made more unctuous with olive oil and its brininess brightened with citrus and herbs — if that's on the table, the little "Oh boy oh boy" part of my brain lights up, and I am instantly hungry. Naz Deravian's roasted dill salmon is particularly striking. As Naz notes, the dish comes from her stepmother, who likes to combine ingredients from her native Japan with Iranian ones (hence the salmon's umami-herbal soy-dill combo). "I have made this numerous times, and it is one of my favorite recipes," writes a reader. "Don't be afraid to DOUBLE the sauce — if you have leftovers and you serve them over rice or potatoes you will thank me." Speaking of rice, here's Naz's sheveed polo, a beautiful mountain of dill rice to serve with your gorgeous salmon. Featured Recipe Roasted Dill Salmon View Recipe → You've been following along with our August Grilling Challenge, yes? My Wirecutter buddy Sofia Sokolove and I have had so much fun putting these newsletters together, starting with better grilled basics (huli huli chicken) before moving on to show-stealing sides (corn and miso pasta salad). This week is all about grilling things you wouldn't normally think of grilling, and if you've never put romaine lettuce and green onions on the grates, I highly encourage you to do so for Kay Chun's grilled chicken with charred scallion chimichurri. If your outdoor dining plans call for something big and shareable but not grilled, here's Ali Slagle's one-pot BBQ pork and beans, a glossy vat of sweet-spicy goodness ready to anchor a spread of coleslaw, buttered corn, biscuits or cornbread. (Or, what the heck, biscuits and cornbread. Labor Day weekend comes but once a year.) Or maybe you just want a crispy, snacky dinner that also puts a dent in your overzealous farmers' market vegetable haul. Naz's pakora recipe calls for potatoes, onions and carrots, but you could also use broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage. Don't forget the mint chutney! Now, for two labneh-tomato dip situations — because I absolutely love labneh and because I will never be done with cherry tomatoes. Ali Slagle calls her fresh tomato and yogurt dip the spiritual successor to last summer's tomato Cheddar toasts, in terms of both how simply it comes together and how easy it is to scarf the whole thing down. Ham El-Waylly's cherry tomato labneh dip requires a little more effort, but it's hands-off work. The tomatoes gently simmer in olive oil with garlic, thyme and oregano until they're soft, smushy and ready to sigh into a swirl of labneh. And I am not done with berries and stone fruits, but I am at the point in the season where I'm no longer afraid of turning on my oven. For all my August birthday buddies, Lidey Heuck's vanilla cake is in order, so that I can decorate it with shiny blackberries, smiling peach slices or macerated strawberries, letting the ruby juice drip down the sides. Beautiful! One last thing! Instacart is a sponsor of New York Times Cooking, and they're helping us make cooking prep a little simpler. If you're having a busy weekend and can't make it to the grocery store, you can now get ingredients for NYT Cooking recipes delivered via Instacart. This was already available on our website, but it's now available in our iOS app too. When you're viewing a recipe, just tap the "Shop ingredients on Instacart" button to give it a try. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. One-Pot BBQ Pork and Beans By Ali Slagle 4 hours Makes 4 to 6 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Pakora By Naz Deravian 50 minutes Makes Makes about 18 pakoras Julia Gartland for The New York Times (Photography and Styling) Mint Chutney By Zainab Shah 5 minutes Makes 3/4 cup Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Fresh Tomato and Yogurt Dip By Ali Slagle 10 minutes Makes 4 servings Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Cherry Tomato Labneh Dip By Ham El-Waylly 40 minutes   Makes 4 servings Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Vanilla Cake  By Lidey Heuck 1 hour and 50 minutes Makes 10 to 12 servings Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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