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Salmon

SALMON

Full of Omega-3, a healthy fat, and selenium: each bite of salmon is packed with nutrients. So it is no surprise that Salmon happens to be one of the healthiest proteins in the world. Luckily, due to its popularity, high-quality, farmed as well as wild salmon is available in most countries. Here’s an easy and reliable recipe, paired with great sides, that will give you a perfect salmon each time you try it, from the desired texture to the flawlessly crispy skin..

Salmon

INGREDIENTS 

SALMON:

  • 1 salmon fillet, 8oz, skin on (I prefer wild king salmon, but any decent quality salmon fillet will work just fine)

  • Kosher salt

  • Black pepper

  • Rosemary

  • Regular, non-extra virgin olive oil

 

SAFFRON RICE:

  • 10 strands of saffron

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup basmati rice

  • 1  small onion

  • 1 clove of garlic

  • 1.5 cups of homemade chicken stock

  • 1 pinch salt

 

ASPARAGUS

  • 1 bunch of thin asparagus spears

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • Parmigiano-reggiano, grated, to taste

  • Zest of 1 lemon

 

DILL AND GREEK YOGHURT SAUCE (mix all the ingredients to make the sauce)

  • 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

  • 1 lemon, halved

  • 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 1 pinch black pepper

 

Equipment needed:

  1. 2 cast-iron skillets or heavy-bottom frying pans

  2. Mixing bowl

  3. Chopping board

  4. Cheese grater

  5. Rice cooker

  6. saucepan

WHY IS IT HEALTHY FOR SENIORS:

  • PROTEIN: important for muscular strength retention and recovery

  • VITAMIN B: These vitamins are involved with energy production, and red blood cell formation

  • SELENIUM: serves as an antioxidant to fight oxidative stress. Important in DNA formation and metabolism.

  • NIACIN: good for controlling cholesterol levels, brain health, and for maintaining skin clarity

  • OMEGA-3: healthy fatty acids to reduce inflammation and support brain health

Note that wild salmon is richer in all of these minerals than farmed salmon.

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Procedure:

 

SALMON:

  1. The night before, dry brine the salmon. Season the salmon fillet with kosher salt on all sides. You don’t need to season very liberally as salmon has its own slightly salty flavor, but don’t season too lightly either. Then, place the salmon on a cooling rack, skin-side facing up, and into the refrigerator overnight. 

  2. The next day, preheat a cast-iron skillet with two tablespoons of non-extra virgin olive oil, until oil starts smoking.

  3. While the skillet is heating up, take the salmon out of the fridge and pat it completely dry. Brush the meat side of the salmon lightly with olive oil so that it acts as a binder. Lightly season the FLESH ONLY (not the skin) of the salmon with freshly ground black pepper.

  4. When the skillet is very hot, place the salmon into the skillet, skin-side down. Using a fish spatula, press the fish to ensure maximum surface area contact.

  5. After around 3 minutes, or when the skin is golden-brown and crispy, lower the heat to medium. Using a fish spatula, gently flip the fish and sear the meat side for around 2 minutes.

  6. Using a meat probe, check the internal temperature of the salmon. Aim for around 120F/48C. If it is lower than that, place the salmon in a preheated 400F oven until the internal temperature reaches 120F.

  7. Rest the salmon for 1 minute before serving.

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SAFFRON RICE:

  1. Wash the basmati rice using a chinoise or strainer until the water runs clear.

  2. Place the saffron in a small bowl. Then, add 5 tablespoons of warm water, and let it sit for 15 minutes.

  3. While the saffron steeps, dice the onion and garlic clove into a fine brunoise.

  4. In a medium-sized saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat until fragrant.

  5. Next pour the washed rice into the saucepan, and slightly toast the rice, but stir gently to make sure the rice granules don’t break. 

  6. Using a large rubber spoon, transfer all the contents of the pan into a rice cooker. 

  7. Pour in the saffron-infused water and mix well. 

  8. Add 1.5 cups of homemade chicken stock into the rice cooker.

  9. Cook the rice using the rice cooker.

  10. When rice is done, around 30-45 minutes later, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve. Lightly salt rice to taste.

 

Note: you can also cook rice without a rice cooker. Follow the same steps up to step 5. Then, in the saucepan, pour in the saffron-infused water and chicken stock. Turn the heat to maximum to let the liquids boil. Once boiling, immediately lower the heat to the lowest simmer, and cover the saucepan with a lid. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, until the liquid is well-absorbed and the rice is yellow and fluffy.

 

ASPARAGUS:

  1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for 2 minutes.

  2. Season the asparagus well with kosher salt and black pepper.

  3. Put the seasoned asparagus into the hot pan. Allow to char for around 30 seconds per side, until some blisters form.

  4. Once charred, immediately lower the heat and pour in one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Toss to evenly coat every strand of asparagus with oil.

  5. Sprinkle freshly grated parmigiano reggiano over the asparagus, and toss well to combine.

  6. Grate lemon zest over the asparagus, and toss well to combine.

  7. Serve asparagus when cooked until soft enough.


 

PLATING:

  1. Put one large scoop of saffron rice as a base.

  2. Place the salmon on top of the rice, crispy skin facing up.

  3. Stack the asparagus against the salmon.

  4. Serve the sauce separately to the side in a small dish, and enjoy.

STORY:

Salmon is perhaps the most common fish there is. No matter what part of the world you are in, your supermarket will definitely have fresh salmon fillets in the chilled section. Search “salmon” on YouTube, and hundreds of videos come up, teaching you how to catch, clean, and cook this fish. But even though it is common, it is definitely not ordinary.

 

There is a reason most restaurants feature salmon on the menu, from being as simple as sashimi or tartare, to being grilled, smoked, seared, poached, baked, steamed, roasted, or (God Forbid) boiled, there are millions of ways to cook this fish. And all of them taste great, because the fish in itself is already so good.

 

When making this recipe, really seek out good quality salmon. Sometimes, the quality of farmed salmon can be very low, as conditions sometimes in farms are quite poor. As such, seek out wild salmon for the best quality. Wild salmon is always reddish-pink, rather than orange like farmed salmon. They are also lower in fat and higher in minerals. But most importantly, perhaps, they swim in their natural environments and eat their natural food, instead of swimming in high-density, disease-heavy nets and eating artificial fish feed. Therefore, for the sake of taste buds, health, and animal welfare, seek out wild salmon.

 

But salmon alone can be a little sad and boring. What makes this particular dish special, however, is the saffron rice that accompanies it. Traditionally used in Persian cuisine, saffron gives everything it touches a vibrant yellow color and a unique, delicious taste. Despite Iran being as far from the salmon-rich waters of the northern Pacific and Atlantic as can be, the combination of saffron rice and salmon actually match very well, especially when combined with this Greek-inspired yogurt sauce. While saffron is by far one of the most expensive spices, this recipe does not call for a lot of it; the saffron needed for this recipe is only going to cost a few dollars. But if saffron is difficult to find, you can replace it with turmeric to stick with the yellow rice theme.

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