Prepare your oven and dish. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the fillets with a little space between them. I like to use a ceramic dish that can go straight to the table.

Make the lemon pepper butter. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, honey, and salt. The mixture will look slightly separated and smell gloriously sharp and savoury—that’s exactly right.

Prepare the salmon. Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper. This is crucial; dry fish browns better. Place them in the prepared dish, skin-side down if you’ve left it on. The flesh should feel cool, firm, and slightly tacky after patting.

Season generously. Pour the lemon pepper butter mixture evenly over the fillets, making sure to coat the tops and the sides. Then, take your freshly cracked black pepper and press a generous amount onto the top of each fillet. You’ll see the dark specks against the pale orange flesh.

Bake until just flaky. Bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets. You’ll know it’s ready when the flesh turns from translucent orange to a uniform, opaque coral pink. Gently press the thickest part with a fork; it should flake apart easily but still look moist and juicy in the centre.

Rest and serve. Remove the dish from the oven and let the salmon rest for 3 minutes. During this time, the residual heat finishes the cooking. You’ll see a little buttery, lemony juice pooling in the bottom of the dish—spoon a little of that over each fillet before serving. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley and a few lemon slices.