Yes, Thank You Bites

“All you need to say is no thank you, No thank you I’m alright. All you need to say is no thank you, And take one no thank you bite.”

My kids used to watch a cartoon called T.O.T.S. featuring Pip the Penguin and Freddy the Flamingo. In one episode the two sang a song imploring kids to take a “no thank you bite” before refusing to eat something. My husband, Billy, and I still use the phrase to remind the kids to try a food. I usually do not resort to singing the song by the same name, though. You’re welcome, children. Now please eat your food.

One food that I had to remind myself to take a “no thank you bite” of was salmon. For whatever reason, I had it in my mind that I liked lots of fish, but not cooked salmon. Honestly, I have no idea what kind of traumatic event I had with salmon in my younger years that cemented this in my mind; it must have been so horrible that I completely blocked it out.

Out on a date night a few years ago, my husband and I were at our favorite spot, Cinclare, in Downtown Thibodaux. Their seasonal menu had just changed, and one of the items was a bronzed salmon. Everything about it sounded delicious, but I was still skeptical because…salmon. Which was so silly! So I took a page out of the cartoon script and gave it a shot. With that one (completely delicious) dish, my mind was changed. I am fairly certain I ate that dish every time we went to Cinclare that winter.

After trying salmon at a few other restaurants, I decided to try my hand at cooking it at home.

I’m not going to lie, I was intimidated. (I can’t explain it. It’s just a fish!) But I looked up a few recipes. They were all fairly simple sounding, so I gave it a good ol’ college try.

My first dish was an oven-roasted salmon topped with an avocado salsa. To be honest, it wasn’t great. I haven’t made it again.

I waited awhile to try another recipe.

Then another.

Then I came across a delicious salmon recipe that uses my favorite quarantine impulse purchase, an air fryer. The air fryer cooks the salmon without drying it out. It is a fabulous option for a quick, healthy, fresh weeknight dinner.

Now I am now longer Ali Rouse Royster, salmon scaredy-fish; instead I’m Ali Rouse Royster, at-home salmon chef!

Get the recipe for Ali Rouse Royster’s air fried salmon at www.rouses.com.