I know… it’s a mouthful! But it’s necessary to say the whole thing, because….well, it just goes together. This is a light dinner that is not light on flavor. I came up with the idea when I saw Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend on the shelves. It’s a mixture of Israeli couscous, orzo, red quinoa and green lentils. It seemed perfect as a warm salad topped with a piece of salmon. But it needed a sauce. Not a creamy one, not a buttery one, but a vinegary, bright one – chimichurri. Although, in all fairness, this isn’t a traditional chimichurri, which usually has some sort of chili pepper in it. I also added basil because we have so much growing on our window sill 🙂
When you’re making this, if you can’t find Harvest Blend from Trader Joe’s, you can really use whatever grain you’d like. Just couscous or quinoa, or even farro or brown rice would work here. I added cherry tomatoes and scallions with olive oil and red wine vinegar for some texture and zing. This side dish is actually great cold and would be excellent as a side for a BBQ in the summer!
Searing The Fish.
Now comes the most important part of this recipe. Cooking the fish. There are a lot of ways to make salmon – but if you want a crispy fish, use this method!
I use a cast iron skillet, but a heavy bottom pan will work here. A fish spatula will also come in handy. They are long and narrow, perfect for carefully flipping a piece of salmon.
I suggest to prep the fish first, so when your skillet is ready to go, you’re ready, and not scrambling to season your salmon last minute. Salt and pepper both sides, and I also add some fresh thyme leaves.
When you’re ready, coat the bottom of the skillet with olive oil, and add a tablespoon of butter. Since this is lemon seared salmon, I slice half a lemon into thin slices, and lay on the outskirts of the skillet, and turn on to medium-high heat. Once the butter and lemon slices start to sizzle, the oil is ready! Carefully (you may have to work in batches), add in your fish, flesh side down. It will pop and sizzle so be careful! If you have a splatter guard, use it here. The most important part is DO NOT MOVE THE FISH ONCE IT’S IN THE PAN until it’s ready to be flipped (sorry, didn’t mean to yell). This will ensure a crispy fish. After the flesh cooks for about 4 minutes, carefully flip the salmon and cook the skin side another 3-5 minutes. Depending on how you like your fish cooked and how thick the pieces are, the cooking time may vary. After you flip, squeeze on some more lemon.
Presentation is everything!
Now while you can serve the grain salad on a dish, the salmon on a platter, and the chimichurri in a small bowl, it’ll be much prettier if you present it like they would in a restaurant. Scoop a little grain in the middle of your dish, top of the salmon, and drizzle the chimichurri on top. Garnish with chives and a lemon wedge – and you’ve just created a beautiful, colorful, healthy show stopping dinner!
Lemon Seared Salmon with a Grain Salad and Parsley and Basil Chimichurri
Equipment
- Garlic Press
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Fish Spatula
Ingredients
- 4 pieces of salmon, 6 oz each
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 3 cups of prepared couscous quinoa, or any other grain you prefer (I used Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend)
- 1 scallion
- ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes rinsed
- ⅓ cup of olive oil grain salad + ¼ cup (chimichurri)
- 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 for grain salad, 2 for chimichurri
- A few bunches of parsley and basil about a cup total
- 1 clove of garlic
- 3-4 chives finely chopped, for garnish
- S&P
Instructions
- While you prepare your grains from the directions on the package, thinly chop the scallion and place in a large bowl. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to the bowl. Add 1/3 cup of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. When your grains are done and have slightly cooled, add to your scallion/tomato mixture and mix to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. **It helps if the grains are slightly warm, they’ll soak up the vinaigrette better!
- Make your chimichurri. Using a garlic press, smash your garlic into a small bowl (you can also finely chop, but since you’re eating it raw, I like that the press turns it almost paste-like). Once your parsley and basil is washed, finely chop and add to your garlic. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, dash of salt and pepper. Stir really well to combine.
- Thinly coat the bottom of your cast iron with olive oil and add your butter. Turn the heat on medium-high. Thinly slice half of the lemon, and add the slices to the outskirts of the cast iron. While the pan is heating, prepare the fish. Season with salt and pepper, both sides. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and spread evenly among the fish. When the lemon slices and butter are sizzling, the oil is ready. Carefully (you may have to work in batches), add in your fish, flesh side down. It will pop and sizzle so be careful! If you have a splatter guard, use it here. The most important part is DO NOT MOVE THE FISH ONCE IT’S IN THE PAN until it’s ready to be flipped (sorry, didn’t mean to yell). This will ensure a crispy fish. After the flesh cooks for about 4 minutes, carefully (I like to use a fish spatula) flip the salmon and cook the other side another 3-5 minutes. *Depending on how you like your fish cooked and how thick the slices are, the cooking time may vary.* After you flip, use the other half of the lemon to squeeze over the fish (again, be careful because this may splatter!).
- Remove the salmon and let it sit for a minute while you prepare the dish. Spoon some grain salad onto the middle of your dinner plate. Place the salmon on top, and drizzle on the chimichurri. Garnish the whole dish with chives. ENJOY!
