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Crispy Salmon with Pea Puree + Summer Corn Salad

Crispy Salmon with Pea Puree + Summer Corn Salad

Create Cooking Challenge 2018 grand-prize winner Kiya Schnorr shares her recipe for a salad of fresh summer vegetables plated on a pea puree, topped with crispy skin salmon.

Recipe Ingredients

  • - Serves 2
  • Salmon:
  • - 2 6-8 oz salmon fillets with skin
  • - 2 tbsp canola oil (or other high smoke point oil), divided
  • - sea salt
  • Pea puree:
  • - 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • - 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • - 1 medium shallot
  • - 1 tsp + 1 tbsp olive oil
  • - 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • - ¼ cup yogurt
  • - 1 ½ oz (about 3 tbsp) shredded pecorino
  • - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • For the salad:
  • - 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • - 3 tbsp olive oil
  • - 1 tbsp minced shallot
  • - 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • - 1 cup fresh corn kernels
  • - 1 cup rainier cherries, pitted and halved 2 cups baby arugula
  • - ⅓ cup sliced cherry peppers
  • - salt and pepper

Recipe Instructions

- Pat the salmon fillets dry all over with paper towels. Arrange on a plate skin side up, and refrigerate uncovered for one hour. (This step is optional, but yields the best evenly-crisp skin. If you need to skip it, just pat the skin dry as well as you can before cooking.) Meanwhile, create a non-stick barrier on your stainless steel pan: Heat the pan over high heat with 1 tablespoon canola oil until the oil begins to smoke. Remove from the heat and, holding paper towels with a pair of tongs, wipe the oil out of the pan. This can be done far in advance, and the pan will hold its non-stick barrier until it is washed with soap.

- Meanwhile, create a non-stick barrier on your stainless steel pan: Heat the pan over high heat with 1 tablespoon canola oil until the oil begins to smoke. Remove from the heat and, holding paper towels with a pair of tongs, wipe the oil out of the pan. This can be done far in advance, and the pan will hold its non-stick barrier until it is washed with soap.

For the pea puree and salad:

- Add the peas, mint, shallot, olive oil, mayonnaise, yogurt, pecorino, and lemon juice to a food processor and season with salt and pepper. Process until well combined and smooth.

- Whisk together the white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced shallot, and dijon mustard, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the corn, cherries, arugula, and cherry peppers. Toss with the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper just before serving.

Cooking the salmon:

- When you’re ready to cook the salmon, return the prepared pan to high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil. When the oil shimmers and small wisps of smoke are just beginning to form, (at about 400°F), season each fillet all over with sea salt and gently place the fillets in the pan skin side down. Use a spatula (fish spatula recommended) to apply even, moderate pressure the fillet for the first 30 seconds of searing to keep the skin flat.

- Reduce heat to medium high/medium to maintain a moderate simmer and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until the bottom edges of the fish are beginning to brown, and the flesh is cooked about halfway through. Use the fish spatula to gently flip the fillets, using your other hand to guide the fish (watch out for hot oil!) If the fillets resist at all, give them another 15-30 seconds before trying again. Finish cooking in the pan for 3-4 minutes more, or until cooked through.

- Transfer the fillets to a wire cooling rack to rest for 5-10 minutes before plating. (This will keep the crispy skin from steaming and getting soggy)

- To serve, spread the pea puree on two plates, then top with the tossed salad and the salmon skin side up.