is a healthy foodie and fitness enthusiast who loves wine and chocolate and whines about push-ups.
What’s not to love about salmon? It’s delicious, full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and in my house, Sean’s responsible for preparing it. I don’t know how things evolved into my husband being the salmon person in the house, but I won’t question it. He takes huge pride in cooking it and has tried various prep methods over the years.
Oftentimes, he’ll cook it the way our son taught him to. Tad says to use a “rippin’ hot” cast iron skillet and cook it skin side down, turning it only for the last minute or two. We love it cooked this way, but the broiling method we use here makes cleaning so much easier (and since I’m mostly the dishes person, it’s by far my favorite).
If you enjoy the crispy skin, don’t forget to score the salmon as I described in the steps below. And if you enjoy huge flavor, don’t skip the sauce. While a fresh fish doesn’t need much love to highlight its flavors, this sauce makes everything better and brighter. Tad takes full credit for this one. He called me earlier this week while I was toying with roasted red peppers and then magically created a sauce in his head – try a teaspoon of this, a tablespoon of that, now a little of this. And…it was incredible and now a keeper.
Enjoy this family effort, and please let me know what you think.
For the salmon
4 six-ounce pieces of wild caught salmon
Avocado oil
Salt & pepper to taste
For the roasted red pepper miso sauce:
1 med to large roasted red pepper, peeled, seeded and deveined or eight ounces of jarred roasted red peppers
2 Tbsp evoo
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp white miso
1” cube peeled, fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove
1 T + 1 tsp Mirin
1 tsp tamari
Place an oven rack on the highest possible position and preheat to broil. Bring the salmon to room temp and pat dry. Set aside while you make the sauce.
Place all saucee ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor until smooth.
Score the salmon by using a sharp knife and cutting a few shallow slashes diagonally, about one inch apart. You’ll want to pierce the skin but be careful not to cut through the flesh. Place the salmon skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil and salt and pepper. Cook 7-8 minutes. Drizzle w roasted red pepper sauce, if using.
You’ll have extra sauce on hand. Drizzle on everything from grilled poultry, meats and fish to vegetables or grain salads. Also great as a dip for breads or sandwiches. Will keep well in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Any grilled or sautéed vegetable or salad (the sauce is great over veggies!)
A crisp Chardonnay or Pinot Noir
Bring the salmon to room temperature and be sure to pat it dry before cooking.
Claudia Zapata
