PAN-SEARED SALMON WITH ROASTED LEEKS AND SCALLOPED POTATOES

Weeknight Dinners

Jan 2

Written By Emma Schulz

SALMON IN UNDER 10 MINUTES! WITH A SIDE OF HEARTY LEEKS AND HOMEMADE POTATO CRISPS

4 servings, 1 hour

Ingredients:

4 salmon filets (6ish ounces each) - look for GOOD quality fish, pink in color and ideally not farm-raised!
1 tbsp cold butter (salted or unsalted)
1 lemon
2 russet potatoes
1 leek
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

The Blistered Peppers Take:

Blistered Peppers is all about never having a bad meal. When it comes to home cooking, there are some basics you need to know. No, it isn’t your knife skills and cutting the perfect uniform veggies. It isn’t about complexity, (e.g. Julia Child’s - amazing, but challenging recipes). It’s about four things. Four very simple things: Butter, Olive Oil, Salt, and Black Pepper.

My mom, who taught me how to cook, only cooks with olive oil, salt and pepper. As do the Italians! Meanwhile, one of my best friends cooks primarily with butter, salt and pepper. As do the French, Southerners, and more. So, my way is: all of the above.

Why are these four ingredients so important? They each have their own unique way of highlighting the proteins and produce you’re cooking with.

Butter - Have you ever taken a really deep breath when sauteing butter? It’s a smell that can’t really be explained. Sure, sure - people call the smell “nutty”. But if you’re not a trained chef, there’s no way you’re connecting the smell of butter to nuts! So although the smell of the butter cooking isn’t easy to explain, it pulls you in. Excites you about the meal to come. And it elevates the ingredients you're using - creating a rich, full flavor.

Personally, I’m a die hard Kerrygold fan. That said, butter is butter and will be delicious with almost any brand you use.
BP hot-take: use salted or unsalted butter. It doesn’t matter. Salt is always a flavor enhancer and unless you have a heavy hand when seasoning, using salted butter won’t make your dish too salty. That said, beware with baking! Little differences can affect the baking science in BIG ways!

Olive Oil - Let’s get even more granular, Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Good quality olive oil has the most unique, yet neutral flavor. And BONUS: it’s MUCHHHHHH healthier than butter. Olive oil is considered an anti-inflammatory and best of all it doesn’t have an aggressive taste. It’s also got some breadth, so you can use it for cooking, basting, and for sauces, dips and dressings. Olive oil is perfect for pan frying, getting a nice crisp on the side of a steak, or flakey skin on your salmon filet. DO NOT use olive oil to deep fry because the smoke point is too low and will overheat.

For daily use, I love California Olive Ranch olive oil. It’s got that neutral flavor and is pretty affordable but good quality.

Salt - Many people think that if you salt something that the meal will taste… salty. Yes, if you over salt something, you’re screwed. But when you properly salt an ingredient it brings out the natural juices and flavors of the food. Case in point - sprinkle a little salt on a slice of tomato…you’ll never be the same again. I’m going to be honest with you. Salt runs through my blood. I LOVE it. Andrew actually had a heart attack when he saw how much salt I put in our food; these days, he goes to restaurants and immediately starts sprinkling salt on his eggs, side dishes of olive oil, and even fries.

Now, it’s important to understand the difference of flakey and fine salt. You should always have Morton salt on hand, this will be your best friend. but your lover, will be Maldon salt. It is a very flakey sea salt, best used as a finishing salt because the flavor is less aggressive and it looks beautiful. Put it on grilled meat or my UNREAL chocolate chip cookies.

Black Pepper - Of the ingredients mentioned, pepper is a bit of an outsider. To put it simply, it adds flavor/spice to your meal. It’s a mild flavor. You’re not getting a mouth full of heat from the spiciness of ground black pepper, but it gives your food the little extra kick it needs. When creating savory meals, you’ll almost never find me without a sprinkle (or a crackle) of black pepper.

We don’t need to be too bougie about it unless using whole peppercorns. So my tried and true usual is from Whole Foods.

OK now back to the meal. How can using just four ingredients make almost any dish delicious? Don’t get me wrong, I love an ingredient-heavy, spices-and-herbs galore, meal. But, sometimes you don’t have that specific herb or spice in the pantry, and other times highlighting one ingredient with simple and clean accents is what feels right. And when it comes to salmon, that’s my jam. It’s crazy that you don’t trust me yet. Good, clean, and fresh salmon - there’s nothing like it (case in point - sushi, where you’re eating nothing but…the salmon). That’s why, when I cook with salmon, I like to utilize the (nuttiness) of the butter, the olive oil for a great crispy pan-fry exterior, and the simpleness of the salt and pepper to bring it to life. Sure, we’ve got leeks and potatoes to accompany the salmon, but you can change those up and include any vegetable you love. Because honestly, the salmon is the star.

Get cooking below, tag me in your post, and send me a DM about A) how simple it was and B) how unbelievably tasty it was.

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Potatoes: Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the potatoes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or apply a thin layer of olive oil, place the potatoes on to the sheet by layering them in a domino effect. Each potato slice should be covered halfway onto the next potato slice. Drizzle with olive oil - about 1-2 tablespoons - and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes begin to brown and crisp.
Leeks: Cut off the top dark green leaves and hairy bottom of the leek. Slice the leek in half lengthwise. Rinse the leek well; making sure to get in between the leaves! Lightly oil a baking dish or sheet. Place the leeks in the dish with the cut side down - you can cut the leek again crosswise to fit in the baking dish if needed. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip the leeks after 15 minutes, sprinkle with parmesan, and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Salmon: Meanwhile, sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. In a large pan on medium heat, place the salmon, flesh side down, in the pan. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until crisp, then flip and continue cooking until skin crisps (about another 4-5 minutes).
- If you like the salmon a bit more ‘well-done,’ place the pan - MAKING SURE IT IS OVEN SAFE - in the 400 degree oven with a slice of butter atop each salmon filet.

Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve alongside a lemon slice.