It's All About That Sauce

Take your salmon from good to great.

Greetings dinner makers! I want to get right down to business here and tell you about this salmon we made the other night. It was so good, so exactly the fresh, healthy hit I needed on a Sunday night, after a stretch of soups and stews and braisey, warm-your-bones kinda dishes.

The salmon preparation could not be more basic — it requires only salt, pepper, olive oil, and a hot oven — but here is where things get exciting: The sauce. And when I say sauce, I don’t mean, like, a béchamel or a Romesco or Grandma’s 8-hour Sunday gravy. I mean the most un-intimidating, quick-whisking of a few things you probably don’t even have to shop for: plain yogurt, Dijon mustard, dill (or whatever fresh herb you’ve got), prepared horseradish, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. In fact, as I type this, I feel like I should reframe the whole recipe and call it Yogurt with Savory Mix-ins or something. Because that’s what it feels like I’m doing when I make it.

I’m addicted to the way the tangy, herby …