Sunday, January 31, 2010

Salmon Salad with Russian Dressing by the Deen Brothers

This is another recipe from the Deen brothers. I was hesitant as it called for microwaving salmon, but it turned out delicious and is a quick salad for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

RUSSIAN DRESSING:
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped gherkins
1 teaspoon lemon juice

SALAD:
2 8-ounce salmon fillets*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1⁄2 head iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges or shredded
1⁄2 red onion, thinly sliced
Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Set aside.

For the salad, season each fillet with salt and pepper. In a microwave-safe baking dish, combine the butter and lemon juice. Place the fish in the dish, turning to coat. Sprinkle with fresh dill. Cover dish with plastic wrap and poke several holes in the plastic with a fork. Microwave on high (100% power) for 2 to 3 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Once fish is cool enough to handle, remove any skin and flake the salmon into chunks.

Divide the lettuce and onion between two plates. Place salmon chunks on top of the lettuce. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. *Use Alaskan salmon if you can fi nd it.

Servings: 2




You will need some dill, butter, cornichons or gherkins, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, lemon, onion, mayo and of course salmon.




Chop the gherkins, I used cornichons which are more sour than sweet.




Combine them with the mayo, ketchup, mustard and lemon juice. Save 2 tbs of lemon juice for the salmon.




Chop up your dill.




Slice your onion and get it in some water, this will help to mellow the flavor. This is a great trick if you don't need or want a bold onion flavor.




Mix up the dressing.




After you've got the dressing made, melt the butter. I used lots of Pyrex making this salad!




Finally it is time to season the salmon and yes, microwave it. Hit it with some salt and pepper.




Then pour the melted butter, the reserved lemon juice and the dill over the salmon. Mix it up a bit to get the flavors all over the salmon. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the microwave on high for about 2.5 minutes.



While it is in the nuker, arrange your lettuce and onions on a plate.



Get the salmon out and make sure you can flake it with a fork, if you can, it is done.



Flake the salmon on top of the lettuce and top with the dressing. I cannot tell you how good the salmon turned out, it was amazing. The other star is the dressing. I am usually just a vinaigrette person, but this dressing was so tasty I will definitely be making it again.

4 comments:

  1. yum!! that looks delicious! the dressing looks like a nice homemade 1000 island dressing. that is a great dressing for fish and shellfish like crab and shrimp. i will definitlly be trying this salad!
    :o)
    puglette

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  2. Looks great and I was going to say also, that the dressing is almost like dh's homemade 1000 island dressing.

    I'm thinking my fav Light Raspberry Vinegrette might go well with this too. Can't wait for warm(-er) weather to try it. Highs in the 20s just doesn't say "salad" to me.

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  3. Oh wow this looks fantastic, and healthy! I love how your recipes always look pretty from start to finish. It takes skill to make raw meat look appealing haha.

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  4. Looks super... love the idea of mellowing out the onion in water - I will definently try that!

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