Crispy Skin Salmon with Seeded Green Salad
Serves: 2
Time: approx 20 minutes
Salmon still stands as one of my favourite pieces of fish. It is so incredibly versatile and because it is popular you can easily find it, not just at the fish markets but most supermarkets. If you do buy it from the seafood counter at the supermarket I always ask to smell it first and if you are buying the pre-packaged option then make sure you check the dates and take from the back as they will be the freshest. But personally, I prefer to shop at our local fish market.
What you'll need
Celery Snack
Leftover celery is great as a snack. Have you ever tried it with almond butter? Or peanut butter? It is super yummy and a nice healthy snack - just make sure your nut butters are all natural.
2 portions of salmon skin on bone out
1/2 bag of baby rocket
3 stalks of celery
1 avocado
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
1 bunch broccolini
1 small piece of red cabbage
1 lemon
From the pantry
30g butter
2 tablespoons mayo or Vegenaise
olive oil
salt and pepper
Leftover Red Cabbage
I use red cabbage a lot but 1/4 red cabbage is always too much for what I generally need. Red cabbage will keep for ages, just keep it wrapped up in cling wrap and store it in the veggie drawer.
Optional Extras For Lunch
1 bunch broccolini
1 avocado
1 large tin of tuna (or two small)
Feeding Four
In your xtra shopping list you will find two portions of salmon, one avocado, one lemon and one bunch of broccolini. You will need to use xtra celery and cabbage and butter as well.
Prep and Cook
Put a medium sized pot of water on to boil with a pinch of salt
Prep Salad
Wash and cut celery on a thin diagonal.
Finely slice cabbage and rinse under cold water to remove excess colour, then drain.
Cut the stalks off the broccolini and drop into the pot of boiling water for 45 seconds, drain and plunge into a bowl of cold running water till cool.
Toast the sunflower seeds in a pan (that you will later use for the salmon) with a touch of oil, stirring regularly till lightly golden.
Peel and slice avocado.
Mix mayo with the juice of half your lemon.
Combine everything together but don’t mix.
Cook Salmon
Wipe your pan out with a paper towel.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan (you want the entire pan to be coated but not swimming) and place on the heat 1 below high.
Pat the skin of your salmon dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle with a little salt.
When your pan is hot it should sizzle when the fish touches, lay your fish skin side down into the pan. Apply pressure to the fish with your hands so that the fish is nice and flat against the pan surface, do this for at least 5 seconds.
Cook for 2 minutes, it is essential that you do not move the fish.
After 2 minutes have a check to see if your fish pulls away from the pan easily, if not leave for another half minute.
When your fish does slide away flip it over onto the flesh and check the skin by giving it a tap with your fingernail you want it to sound almost hollow all over.
Cook flesh side for one minute. (if your fish is particularly fat I would also cook the two sides as well for about 30 seconds).
If you want to add some butter to the pan now is a perfect time.
Flip your fish back onto the skin, add about 30g butter and the juice of half the lemon to the pan swirling it around the pan so that it melts quickly and once it has bubbled, tip the pan and use a spoon to ladle that butter over the fish a good few times.
Remove from heat.
Plate it Pretty
Mix the dressing through the salad with some sea salt flakes and some fresh cracked pepper.
Portion onto plates and lay salmon across.
Enjoy!
Lunch Tomorrow
Add the extra ingredients as you go but before you mix in the mayo, separate out what you want for lunch and take some mayo on the side with the tuna or tinned salmon if you like it.