Preheat the oven to 425° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent salmon skin from sticking.
Pulse pecans in a blender until they look like coarse crumbles but not until it looks like dust. Grate Parmesan cheese off the block if needed.
In one small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon zest, minced parsley, and some salt and pepper. Mix well.
In another bowl, that is wide and shallow, combine pecans, grated Parmesan cheese, and some salt and pepper.
Pat salmon filets dry with a paper towel and rub the skin with some oil.
Season salmon with a little salt and rub the filets with mayo mixture on three sides but not on the bottom.
Dip each mayo coated salmon filet into the pecan and Parmesan mixture on three sides, patting it down to crust it evenly.
Place crusted salmon onto the baking sheet, skin down, and bake for 18-22 minutes. (Note that the size of salmon will affect the exact baking time, small and thin filets can take as little as 15 minutes and larger, thicker ones can take up to 25 minutes.)
Video
Notes
How To Tell If Salmon Is Done:
Internal temperature is always the best indicator. Use a Digital Instant Read Thermometer to check the temperature in the center of the thickest part. Salmon is considered done at 145° and it you want it medium to medium-well range, cook it to 125° – 135°. Obviously, the higher the temp the more done the fish will be.
Press on the center. When the meat is cooked through, it will be firm to the touch with the slightest bit of give. If it still feels squishy, give it a few more minutes and check again.
See if it flakes. You’ll notice white lines running throughout the fillet, which is the fat. If the fish separates easily along these lines, it’s ready to eat!
Check the opacity. Raw fish is fairly translucent but becomes more opaque when cooked. The inside should still have a slight “shine” to the flesh, while the outside should look completely opaque.