If you follow me on Instagram (shameless plug), it's no secret how much I love to buy, cook, and eat salmon. Every. Single. Week. Much like garlic and onion, it's a staple in most of my meals, simply because of the cuts—center, meaty—I buy from Dry Dock Fish at the Larchmont Farmer's Market every Sunday are beautiful, strikingly fresh and flavorful. I also think salmon holds up well for a day or two once it's cooked (hot or cold) so it makes for perfect leftovers.
Despite how many times I've cooked salmon since I've lived on my own (the last 5 years), I haven't tried too many versions — at least not too many memorable ones — aside from using a plethora of spices from a local market, William Sonoma, and good 'ol Old Bay. Perhaps even more surprisingly, I've only marinated the salmon I've cooked maybe two or three times. That's mostly because Salmon has also been a go-to for me because of how quickly and simply it can be thrown together. If you have a great piece of fish, you don't need to do a lot to it to make it taste good. However, one day I was searching for a salmon marinade — I felt it might be nice to jazz it up a bit — I stumbled upon a delicious sounding one on New York Times Cooking.
The recipe turned out great and inspired me to go a little bit further, which brings me to my favorite marinade to date, that was thrown together at 5 am during a horrible wave of insomnia—I got one hour of sleep that night but ended up with an impeccable dinner so, I guess it was worth it? No, insomnia is never worth it. But, I digress. Along with the NYTC I'm sure there were other recipes I glanced at over the years and dishes I tried that led me to this one. That said, have some fun with this. After giving this recipe a shot, think of things you like and add them, or omit others I've included that you're not wild about, it's totally your call.
Courtesy of the seemingly undying heat, I've been obsessed with light, refreshing sides lately. You know, ones that are straightforward, don't require too many ingredients, too much prep or cooking time, and are still yummy? Yep, those. Barrett Pendgast's Herb Lemon Rice is a favorite for sure. Along with an avocado chimichurri on the side or atop the salmon, you've got a delightful meal that's equal parts quick and satisfying. And, to experience pure bliss, I highly recommend playing Dustin O'Halloran's piano solos (Volume 2) or Lumiere album throughout the entire process. The magic of simplicity rings true through both the music and the meal.
O'Halloran is one of, if not my favorite composer—I find myself returning to the aforementioned albums all the time, but especially when exhausted or overwhelmed. Combined with the therapeutic effect of cooking, even the longest day can feel like a brief and seemingly forgettable bad dream once I'm in the kitchen, rinsing rice or chopping herbs while following the alluring pulse of the cello in "A Great Divide" or the piano in "Opus 43".
Dinner one doesn't take too long, but if you're really in a hurry, whip out whatever veggies might be in your crisper, give them a good rinse and roast and then eat them plain or toss with your favorite grain. Wait, am I a poet now? I was in the mood for pasta last week, but quinoa would work wonderfully. Again, it's totally up to you. I'm merely providing a place to start, a base if you will. To be honest, the second dinner came together after getting home much later than expected and me feeling a bit paranoid about not using up my veggies before they went bad. And, voila! Yet another favorite meal.
Dessert isn't a must, but always always always, in fact maybe too much, appreciated around here. And, it just so happens that a simple chocolate mousse is a perfect way to ease your way into the day (at the crack of dawn) after getting an hour of sleep. The mere idea of ending your grueling day with smooth and fluffy chocolate is gratifying, even if you're not sure how you're going to keep your eyes open at your desk just yet. The hardest part is melting the chocolate, and then being a little patient until it thickens. However, it tastes if you're a three Michelin star chef, which is every foodie's dream of course.
Dinner 1: Pan-Seared Salmon with Avocado Chimichurriri and Herb & Lemon Rice
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SALMON
- One 1-1 1/2 lb piece of salmon (whole or divided into two).
- 3 tbs light brown sugar
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbs toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs Worchestire sauce
- 1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbs William Sanoma's Pot Latch Rub
- 2 tbs William Sanoma's Chile Lime Rub
- 1 tbs flaky sea salt (like Maldon)
- 1 tbs fresh ground pepper
FOR THE HERB LEMON RICE
- 1 cup uncooked Basmati rice
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbs Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 3 tbs dill, roughly chopped
- 1 scallion, cut into thin rounds (I used 2 here)
- 1 tbs chives, roughly chopped (I added this as well
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 lemon
FOR THE AVOCADO CHIMICHURRI
- 2 small ripe avocados, cubed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt (fine or flakes work well here)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3-4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- juice from half a lemon
- juice from half a lime
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR THE SALMON
- Whisk ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place salmon in a gallon freezer Ziploc bag and pour marinade over it.
- Seal the bag and then place in the fridge overnight or at least 30 minutes. The longer the better here, especially if you have a very fresh piece of fish.
- When ready to cook let salmon rest on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
Place a pan (I typically use my 10 or 12-inch cast iron) on the stove at medium high temperature, and add 2 tbs of high heat (like grapeseed) oil.
Allow the pan to get very hot and then turn down the heat to medium.
Using a fish spatula or tongs (carefully!) place the salmon skin-side down in the pan. Be very careful here because the hot oil will pop a bit.
Allow the salmon to sit untouched for about 5-10 minutes to allow the skin to get crispy.
Using a fish spatula or tongs (preferably the spatula), slowly flip the salmon over onto the flesh side to for 5-7 minutes. Perhaps longer if you have a particularly thick cut(s).
Check to see if the salmon is cooked through and if need be, allow it to cook 1-2 minutes on each side. It's a little awkward to do but just gently push the piece over to one side and hold it there with the tongs, and then do the other.
Turn the salmon back over so that its skin is resting on the pan. You should be able to see some lovely sear marks on the flesh.
Turn off the heat and plate the salmon. Cover it if you wish, to keep it warm. Remember salmon continues to cook once off heat so if it looks a little underdone, by the time you finish everything else it should be perfect. Also, overcooked fish is no fun!
FOR THE HERB LEMON RICE
- Place the rice in a strainer.
- Rinse and drain with cold water until the water runs clear.
- Next add rice to a medium pot, along with 1 3/4 cup water for cooking, garlic clove, sea salt and olive oil.
- Bring rice to a boil.
- Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove it from the heat and let the rice sit for another 5 minutes.
- Remove and discard the garlic clove.
- Add the parsley, dill, scallion and chives.
- Fluff with fork, mixing the herbs into the rice.
- Add some freshly ground black pepper and the juice from 1/2 a lemon.
- Mix to combine and serve.
FOR THE AVOCADO CHIMICHURRI
- 1. Add all ingredients to a medium bowl.
- Mix to combine and chill for about 10 minutes before serving.
Dinner 2: Pan-Seared Salmon with Capellini & Rosted Vegetables
*Use the same Salmon ingredients and recipe above!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE ROASTED VEGETABLES
- 4 small sweet or 3 large bell peppers
- 2 ears of corn
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 large bunch of basil
- 3 cloves garlic
- A few glugs of good extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
FOR THE CAPELLINI
- Half a box of capellini
- A glug of good extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper and grated parmesan to tasted
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR THE ROASTED VEGETABLES
- Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Place foil on a baking sheet, and then rinse and thoroughly dry all vegetables.
- Slice and remove seeds from peppers, then place on baking sheet.
- Place tomatoes (whole) on the baking sheet.
- Slice garlic cloves and disperse throughout baking sheet.
- Slice ears of corn in half and wrap halves tightly in foil with a pat of butter (a homemade herb butter works lovely here), then place them on the corners of the baking sheet.
- Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and then sprinkle basil, salt and pepper evenly.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
FOR THE CAPELLINI
- Add water to a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Add a glug of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tsp of Kosher salt.
- Once boiling, add capellini to the water and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Set aside.
ASSEMBLY
- Once vegetables are done roasting allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
- Toss capellini with roasted vegetables (except for the corn) and half of the pasta water, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Plate salmon, corn, and top pasta with paremsan, and serve!