A fabulous fish recipe
By David Douglas, Contributor
It’s happened! You finally have that cute friend coming over for dinner and you want to “chef to impress.” Everyone knows that the key to securing that special someone’s heart is impressing their stomach. Here is a simple and quick salmon meal that looks great, tastes amazing, and only takes 45 minutes in your kitchen to slap together—preventing you from neglecting your guest.
Ingredients:
2 Salmon fillets, skin on (4 to 6 oz each)
12-16 Asparagus Spears
1/2 Lime
1 Tomato (halved)
1 cup Basmati rice
1/4 cup Carrot (diced) – optional
1/4 cup Corn Kernels – optional
1 tbsp Fresh Dill (minced)
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Get your rice started in your rice cooker—if you don’t already have one, I suggest it. I converted from minute rice cooked on a stove a few years ago and would never go back. Before putting the rice in the rice cooker, put rice in a sifter and rinse well in cold water until the water runs through clear. This is to remove any excess starch. The ratio of rice to water in the cooker is one cup of rice to one and a half cups of water—add a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt. I like to add a little extra salt myself. Add in optional vegetables. Vegetables add valuable colour and flavour to your rice. Food that looks good usually tastes good. Turn on your cooker, now you have a few spare minutes to pour your friend a glass of wine. Maybe put on some music, if you haven’t already.
While your rice is cooking, use this time to prepare the other ingredients. Ensure that you cut off any woody bits at the base of your asparagus stalks. Mince your fresh dill. Halve your lime and tomato. When your rice is about 25 minutes from done, the cooking countdown will begin. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat with three tablespoons of oil, and additionally heat a small pan to high heat with two tablespoons of oil. In the large pan, start the asparagus first, cook for 20 minutes tossing occasionally. When there is 15 minutes left on for your rice to cook, place the salmon in the small pan, meat side down. Season both fillets lightly with salt. Keep tossing the asparagus. At 10 minutes, flip the salmon to skin side down and place the two tomato halves in the pan, cut side down. Toss that asparagus. Salt both pans again.
At five minutes, squeeze your lime all over the salmon. It will get steamy and fragrant. While the fish is wet with lime juice, season with salt, pepper, and dill to taste (I like to overkill the dill) and turn off both burners. Pepper the asparagus and toss one more time. The tomato should have a dark fry on the bottom. As you take out two dinner plates, the “ding!” will notify you when the rice is done. Open your rice cooker and fluff the rice before serving. Place a bed of rice on one side of the plate and put the salmon on the other side, with the tomato beside it. Adjacent to the rice, place the pan-fried asparagus. Serve with white wine and candles.
