Salmon and Side Dish Recipes

 

Not only is salmon low in calories and saturated fat and high in protein, it’s rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A lot of these “good fats” are found in the skin of the salmon so you’ll use skin-on salmon for this recipe. We’ll top it off with homemade Lemon Dill Sauce, which provides a flavorful, yet light complement to the dish.

The sauce uses lemon zest, which is the outermost rind (or yellow skin) of a lemon. To zest, use a small grater or zester to remove the colored portion in long, thin strips. A peeler will also work if you don’t have these items on hand. Make sure to wash and scrub the lemon well to get rid of any waxy coatings. Just zest the outer rind, as the white pith underneath will add a bitter taste.

To remove scales from the skin prior to cooking, put salmon fillets on a cutting board skin side up. Use the back of a knife to gently scrape the skin against the grain of the scales, which will remove the scales. Wipe the fillet with a towel to remove loose scales.

Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce—By Allison Fishman

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Lemon Dill Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried chives
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper

Salmon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (skin-on)
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the sauce: Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, chives, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
2. Season to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. For the salmon: Heat a medium non-stick skillet and add oil. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
4. Place salmon, skin side down, in the sizzling oil and cook to crisp the skin. Cook the fish for approximately 4 minutes then flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes on the other side.
5. Plate the salmon skin side up. Serve with a few tablespoons of the sauce.

  Peas and Bacon—By Allison Fishman

Serves 4

This sweet and salty side uses only 3 main ingredients, peas, shallots and bacon. It will be a hit with the whole family, even the ones who aren’t normally fans of peas. The simple preparation and ingredients are deceiving; this dish will look and taste like it came from a fancy restaurant.

INGREDIENTS

3 pieces bacon, preferably thick cut
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 10-ounce package of frozen baby peas
Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop the bacon into quarter inch slices. Place in a cold skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook until soft-crisp, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon. Pour off excess bacon fat, reserving 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan.
3. Put the shallots in the skillet and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the peas, 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook until the peas turn bright green, about 3 minutes. Remove cover and let any excess water cook out. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
5. Return chopped bacon to the skillet with the peas and stir to mix. Serve warm.

  Salmon Chowder—By Allison Fishman

Makes 8 cups

You can use up your leftovers from this dinner with a tasty chowder recipe that you can serve as an appetizer, side dish or light dinner. No leftovers? No problem. You can still make the chowder using canned salmon and frozen baby peas.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups milk
1 large russet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup Peas and Bacon (see recipe above)
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 cooked 6 oz. salmon fillet
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Oyster crackers, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine milk, potatoes, salt and 1 cup water in a heavy saucepan and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, approximately 20 minutes.
2. Remove about 1 cup of potato chunks from the saucepan and mash with the back of a fork, or a potato masher until it is the texture of mashed potatoes. Return this mixture to the saucepan, and add Peas and Bacon and corn.
3. Flake the salmon into chunks using a fork. Add the salmon to the chowder and heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove chowder from the heat and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with chopped fresh chives and fresh dill. Serve with oyster crackers.