Seattle, WA

Over at Earthly Eating this month, Shelly is doing a weeks worth of salmon recipes along with a lot of great tips. Well, what could be more appropriate for Seattle than salmon? Please go check out Shelly’s recipes and here is my favorite salmon recipe from Bon Appétit:

Spicy Salmon with Black Butter

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 salmon steaks (1 pound) each about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation:
In a bowl stir together the black pepper, the paprika, the cayenne, the garlic, the onion, the thyme, the salt, and the oil until the mixture forms a stiff paste. Pat the paste onto both sides of each salmon steak. Heat an oiled ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until it is smoking and in it sauté the salmon for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through. While the salmon is cooking, in a small skillet cook the butter over moderate heat, swirling the skillet, until it is dark brown, but do not let it burn. Transfer the salmon to heated plates and pour the butter over it.

I like to serve this recipe over basmati or jasmine rice.

Pair it up with a good salad and a nice Pinot Noir and you have yourself a perfect meal. Lately I’ve been particularly crazy about fennel salads. The first time I made it I wasn’t too sure I was going to like it so I used a small fennel bulb. It was so good that I was very sorry I’d made that decision! Try this delicious fennel slaw from the Food Network:

Fennel Slaw:

1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest (preferably organic)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large fennel bulbs
Black sesame seeds, for garnish

Place lemon juice in a bowl and whisk in olive oil to create an emulsion. Add honey, zest, salt and pepper and whisk until combined; set aside.

Slice fennel very thinly with a mandolin. Combine fennel and dressing and set aside until ready to serve. Re-season with salt and pepper, to taste, and sprinkle with black sesame.

recipes, salmon, spicy, black butter, fennel, slaw, dinner