Dinner Party on a weeknight? Why not when you can pull this dinner together before the doorbell rings.
Our friend Laura was here from Colorado this week. And the only night we were mutually free was a Tuesday. So much for cooking an elaborate meal on a weeknight. Instead, I looked for something that wouldn’t involve much cooking at all. And this wonderful, colorful recipe could not have fit the bill better. First of all, you can make almost the entire recipe before the doorbell rings. The dressing for the glorious citrus salad and the glaze for the crispy-skinned salmon can be whisked together in advance. Peel the citrus and all you’re left to do is to cook the salmon in a cast-iron skillet. While that’s happening, you toss the salad and make a great looking platter to lay the salmon on.
Meet the woman behind Ina Garten, the Hampton’s own Barefoot Contessa.
And who is the genius behind this weeknight dinner party dish? Well, none other than Ina Garten’s assistant, a young woman named Lidey Heuck. For 6 years, Lidey has been assisting the Barefoot Contessa in an astonishing number of roles. She’s managed Ina’s social media platforms, developed, cooked and test recipes. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Ina and by extension to Lidey. Ina’s posts are consistently among the most popular on Chewing the Fat. After Lidey’s recipe, you’ll find the links to Ina’s hit parade. In addition to working with Ina, Lidey has contributed 29 recipes to the New York Times—where this one’s from. Food & Wine, Food Network Magazine and TheKitchn.com have been home to Lidey’s handiwork.
Amber Waves. A Culinary Destination worth making a pilgrimage to.
In Amagansett, NY, a couple of towns away from Bridgehampton where we live, there’s a fantastic non-profit women-owned farm called Am
ber Waves. Lidey specializes in using seasonal produce from the farm. It is there where she also cooks and hosts farm-to-table dinners in season of course. The Farm has a retail market located in the Amagansett Farmer’s Market building, a local institution on Main Street. There’s a café that serves breakfast and lunch from Friday to Sunday. The rest of the week they have Grab and Go options that change by the day. And every morning, they bake their own pastries to serve with coffee or tea indoors, or on the patio, or in the yard. It’s seasonal and won’t reopen till Spring. Here’s a link that will show you all that’s on offer: http://www.amberwavesfarm.org And here is today’s recipe:
Seared Salmon with Citrus and Herb Salad from Lidey Heuck
A bold, citrusy salad accompanies golden brown salmon. The original recipe called for Arugula. We substituted Trader Joe's Herb Salad Mixture.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup thinly sliced shallot (from 1 large shallot)
- 1 small grapefruit
- 2 to 3 navel oranges, blood oranges or Cara Cara oranges, or a combination (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
- 2 to 3 ounces herb salad greens or arugula (about 4 cups)
- ½ medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and very thinly sliced crosswise
- ¼ cup shelled, roasted salted or unsalted pistachios, chopped
Directions
- Step 1 Make the glaze for the salmon: In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil with the orange juice, mustard, half the chopped garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Step 2 Make the salad dressing: In another small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil with the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in the shallots and the remaining garlic, then set aside.
- Step 3 Using a small serrated knife, peel the grapefruit and oranges and trim to remove any remaining pith. Slice all the peeled fruit crosswise into thin circles (no larger than 1/2-inch thick). Remove the seeds and set aside.
- Step 4 Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy stainless-steel skillet over medium-high until it’s extremely hot (a drop of water flicked onto the pan should turn to steam almost immediately), about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, pat the salmon fillets dry using paper towels, brush both sides with olive oil, and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Step 5 When the pan is ready, cook the salmon fillets skin-side down over medium-high without moving until the salmon skin releases easily from the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a pair of tongs or a spatula, wiggle the fillets to loosen the skin from the bottom of the pan, then carefully flip. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the salmon is cooked through but still slightly rare in the center, 4 to 5 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
- Step 6 Transfer to a rimmed plate or serving dish, and brush the glaze all over the salmon, making sure to coat the fillets.
- Step 7 Combine the greens and fennel in a large bowl. Pour 1/2 the dressing over the salad and toss well. Using a shallow serving bowl or platter, plate the salad putting the citrus rounds and pistachios on top of the greens. Spoon the remaining salad dressing over the citrus. Put the salmon atop the salad. Serve.
Ina Garten’s Smoked Salmon Pizzas from "Cooking for Jeffrey"
Bon Appetit’s Spiced Lamb Burger in Pitas and Ina Garten’s Easy Tzatziki
