That reminds me, when our kids were little, we had to make a rule that it was not allowed to eat condiments, condiments had to go on at least a bite of something (kid would have eaten Mayo with a spoon LOL). That love has transferred to sauces (hollandaise) and gravy....I think folks should eat what they like, life is too short not to enjoy a gravy or sauce or whatever, it's just as valid a food as what it's in or on? We enjoy salmon many ways -- plain; with soy/citrus dip; with "green sauce" which is a minced fresh herb mix with a bit of mayo to hold it together....sometimes rules (recipes?) can provide a great starting point, and then personal preference can run from there? continuing on the salmon train of thought -- it's really nice as sashimi, or sushi, it doesn't have to be cooked the same way each time. Steaks, fillets, collar, they all cook differently.

I don't think I answered your question viz the fish. There was nothing wrong with the sauce. You liked the sauce well enough to eat it with no salmon flavor. The issue wasn't the spices, it was that the sauce, as it was made, was the wrong sauce for fish. It might be brilliant on something else.

I'm allergic to most fish so don't cook it, but in my limited experience the sauce should be thin and light, with a good amount of acid which brightens the fish. That is, it should be enough that you're not looking for lemon wedges. Even salmon, which has a stronger and more distinctive flavor than lots of other fish, calls for a delicate sauce that complements it rather than a gonzo sauce.

Perhaps thinning down your sauce would be adequate.

With the salmon it sounds like a quantity issue, you want the sauce as a complement, not the meal. Exception for me is pasta. I've seen it said (in a negative tone) that it's an American thing to overload pasta with sauce. Oh well, call me a philistine, but to me dried pasta doesn't have much taste that I need front and center.

plllog - I'm curious about your comment that most American recipes are under spiced. On the one hand I agree, people seem to like to simplify the ingredients lists of a cuisine that may have more complex flavors; Indian food comes to mind. On the other hand, as I look through recipes of famous French chefs I'm often taken by how few spices they use at all. Ingredients lists may be long and preparation is exhausting, but a mishmosh of spices is rare.

I often think that recipes I see have so many ingredients all fighting each other....too many and I think they stop complimenting each other and you can't possibly taste all if them. Perhaps it's just what I'm used to eating but I prefer the European way of allowing the star of the show, I.e. the salmon, to shine and using other elements to complement it. But should you want a bowl full of sauce, then it's your dinner and your choice!

There are some things I like highly spiced and some not. Steak, for instance. Salt and pepper ONLY for me. But if I'm doing steak Fajita's, the more the better. Salmon I always baste with salt, pepper, lemon and dill mixed into olive oil. But I don't put anything on it after it's cooked. (I used to use butter but we are trying to be good in our elder years.) When I eat other seafoods that are more delicate I only want lots of lemon to squeeze on it, nothing else. I agree with above, pasta needs to be dressed with something or don't even bother. We have been using lemon pepper and olive oil on roasted vegetables a lot lately, also a little garlic. When I go to a restaurant and order either seafood or steak, I make sure that I can dictate whether they will leave off the overpowering sauces, seasonings before I order it.

Pillog, your gritty comment just about made me spit coffee this morning, thank you! Needed the laugh! Thankfully everyone has their own tatstes, or we'd all be eating the same thing. And have to agree with Rita, sometimes the restaurant commercial marinades/seasonings...the seasoning flavors just stick with me for awhile, I don't appreciate that. On the encouraging side, many spices (turmeric) are supposed to have some very beneficial properties.

No meat should be that highly spiced that you can't tell what you're eating. This is especially true for sauces. And even more important when it comes to barbecue. Far too much barbecue is served with a river of sauce. Sauce should always compliment the meat and never replace its flavor.

On the topic of salmon, if it's sushi or sashimi, it needs nothing, including soy sauce or wasabi. If it's cooked, then the less you add to it, the more you'll taste the fish. But it's very easy to overwhelm that taste with just about everything you'll put on the fish.

I tend to use more herbs & spices than called for in many recipes (if they're called for @ all) - esp. herbs, since I mostly use fresh.

I don't do a lot of sauces tho. I tend to do more roasting w/ rubs & spice/herb blends & also braise or stew w/ aromatic veggies like onions, peppers, garlic & celery. I use a lot of seasoning when doing a rub - I lay it on thick = )

When you can't tell what you are eating but for the spice. Spices were originally valued because they hid the rotting taste of meat....

It's a matter of personal taste, no 'right' or 'wrong' amount. If you like a little salmon with your sauce, who's to say you shouldn't have it that way?

Same with any other dish, meats included. Amount of seasonings and/or sauce is a personal decision. What one person finds under seasoned, another may find over seasoned. To my knowledge, there are no food police who will arrest and incarcerate you for over or under seasoning anything.

So, simply stated, too much is too much when YOU decide it is!

Rusty

I tend to agree w/ Rusty - except when you are serving food to others. Then I think it is important to be more circumspect.

Clarification: I meant that most American recipes use too little of the spices called for--really like the authors are being stingy--not that they need to call for more spices.

H B, I'm glad to give you a laugh, but I've actually been there when making small, low heat sauces. :)

Re combos of many flavors, I do like a lot of them, like the Italian spaghetti sauce I grew up making, Indian and Mexican food, etc. Mr. Rao talks about how his mom removed "everything unnecessary") from each sauce. That leaves a clean, fresh, simple flavor and makes it possible to distinguish one cooked down tomato sauce from the next, however, for depth and richness, my own is the best with all its components making a harmonious whole. Both answers are "right"--it just depends on what you want it to taste like in the end and they're all good.

Re meat: I was taught that good meat (the opposite of the half rotten medieval stuff Linda mentioned that needs exotic spices to cover the stank) doesn't need any spices at all. Broiled or grilled naked with a little finishing salt is all. I also like meats with good sauces, because I like sauces, but it doesn't require it, and if the sauce is hiding the flavor of the meat it's too much. Chicken needs more to be entertaining, but flavorwise, it can be fine on its own as well.

Pillog, I'm sorry for the LOL. Grit is definitely an issue, I was just making some chile powder and opted not to try to grind toasted whole cumin as other comments on the recipe indicated it could never be ground up small enough not to get stuck in teeth...my more usual problem with sauces are lumps...

No worries, H B! I meant it when I said I was glad it made you laugh! I'm always in for a good laugh. No apologies.

So, my no lumps "secret" for sauces with flour is barley flour (Wondra). And arrowroot or tapioca where one might use cornstarch. Not very secret, but they work better for me. And there's always the chinois or stick blender. :) For the cumin, you'd need a pulverizing grinder, or a muscular shoulder and a heavy pestle. I keep powdered cumin in the house for just such occasions, however, and just use a bit more than required. The kind in the glass jars doesn't get nearly as dry as the cello packets, and if one pops for Penzey's all of their spices and herbs are less dry than is common, and closer to what you might do up yourself.

Pillog, thanks for the tips! I had no idea about Wondra. Looove Penzey's but don't often splurge. ;-) Maybe its time!

Hmm, maybe use a dab of that sauce on the salmon, and the rest on any associated roasted veggies?

For me and salmon, when I cook it, I tend just to use olive or avocado oil, ground pepper, lemon, and if i have it, fresh dill. As it is an ocean going fish, I don't even salt it.

Quality steak is happy with a little ground pepper, some salt, and perhaps a hint of garlic powder. Although skirt steak, which I also consider tasty and quality, often begs for a tex-mex preparation.