Recipe courtesy of Marilu Henner

Spicy Salmon Salad

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 2 servings
  • Total: 30 min
  • Active: 25 min
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Ingredients

Rub:

1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:

Two 6- to 8-ounce middle-cut skin-on salmon fillets (responsibly farmed)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salad:

2 handfuls arugula

2 handfuls spinach leaves

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1/2 fennel bulb, finely sliced, plus small handful fennel fronds

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

Pinch of kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

  1. For the rub: Put the fennel seeds in a small bowl and crush lightly with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the dried onion, cayenne, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper and mix together.
  2. For the salmon: Spoon the rub onto the salmon fillets on both sides and rub in. (Don't do this more than 5 minutes ahead of cooking or it will start to affect the fish and soften it.)
  3. Heat a large pan over high heat, add the olive oil and heat until very hot. Add the salmon fillets skin-side down. Cook on high until the flesh turns opaque about halfway up the side of the fillets, about 5 minutes. Cover with a lid or an inverted frying pan. Turn the heat off and leave it for 5 minutes; the heat and steam will cook the top of the fish so it will be crisp on the bottom and cooked through.
  4. For the salad: Meanwhile, add the arugula and spinach to a bowl. Add the red onion to the center and scatter the fennel and fronds around the edges of the bowl. Drizzle the balsamic only on the red onion. Sprinkle the rest of the salad with salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss everything together.
  5. Add a heap of salad to 2 plates and top each with a salmon fillet.

Let's Get Cooking!

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kathyurbano

We agree with Jaclyn C's review on here that the spices overpower the salmon. The combo of cumin (too strong), Smoked paprika AND cayenne is too much. Add the raw red onion (another strong flavor) and it is more like you are masking the fish rather than enhancing the salmon. My husband hated this and I wasn't too crazy about it either. As for the rub affecting the fish, with the exception of the salt, this will not affect the texture as stated here. This is a rub, not a liquid marinade. Salt, let on fish for hours will firm up the fish and remove moisture. It is fine to leave the rub on for 15 minutes. Sorry but this was not good.

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