Pan-Seared King Salmon with Orange Fennel Salad

Pan-Seared King Salmon with Orange Fennel Salad (Serves 4)

In this tasty dish created for us by Chef Nathon Lyon, pan-seared salmon fillets are served over a bed of fennel, fronds, and orange segments that have been gently tossed in a citrus vinaigrette.

by: Nathan Lyon Cookbook author, chef, and Emmy Award-nominated culinary host for the television show “Good Food America.”

Ingredients

Salmon

1 Pound King Salmon Fillet, 1 1/2 Inches Thick, Skin On, Cut Into 4 Equal Pieces, Pin Bones Removed
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest (Zest Of 3 Lemons), Grated On A Microplane, Chopped Finely (Reserve The Lemon For The Salad)
2 Teaspoons Finely Chopped FreshThyme
1 Tablespoon Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Unsalted Butter

Salad

1 Large Orange, Supremed*
3 Small Fennel Bulbs (buy Fennel Bulbs With Stalks And Fronds Still Attached)
1/4 Cup Picked Fennel Fronds (From The Fennel Bulbs)

*Cut the ends off the orange. Next, cut the peel and pith off the orange. Then, segment the orange by cutting between the membranes. Discard any seeds, but reserve the juice for the vinaigrette. Set aside segmented orange pieces for the salad.

Vinaigrette

1 Small Shallot, Diced Small (2 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice (From The Supremed Orange)
1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, Plus More To Taste
1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt, Plus More To Taste
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Plus More To Taste
3 Tablespoons Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Directions

Salmon

Pat the salmon dry, then season the non-skin side with the salt and pepper. Then, season with the lemon zest and chopped thyme.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter to a large sauté pan over high-medium heat. Heat until the butter bubbles up turns brown, and perhaps even smokes. Swirl the sauté pan to distribute the oil, then add the salmon, skin side up.

Cook for 1 minute, flip to skin side down, and continue cooking for 30 seconds.

Cover the sauté pan and immediately push the sauté pan off the heat. Turn off the heat and allow the salmon to rest undisturbed for 14 minutes. Peel off salmon skin and serve immediately.

Note: if the salmon is 1 inch thick, apply the same cooking method, but only let the salmon rest for 10 minutes, instead of 14 minutes.

Salad & Vinaigrette

Cut off the bottom and the stalks of the fennel. Sit the fennel upright and cut it in half lengthwise. Lay each half flat on a cutting board and very thinly slice the fennel width-wise. You should have about 3 cups of thinly sliced fennel.

In a medium container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinaigrette ingredients, close the lid tightly, and shake well to combine. Or, whisk to combine the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

Combine all ingredients (orange segments, fennel, fronds) plus the vinaigrette into a medium bowl and toss to mix.

To Finish & Serve:

Evenly divide the salad onto plates and top with the salmon fillets.