Seared Salmon with Asparagus

The first time Alfie took me salmon fishing was September 2008. Before that, I was content heading to the local lake with Kelly to fish for trout and sunfish (still love it). Of course, Kelly spent most of the time playing with the worms.

Until fishing for salmon, I really didn’t know what it meant to do any sort of “sport” fishing. But after having to fight with a 23 pound fish for 30 minutes to finally land it in the boat—I was HOOKED (pun intended).

Fishing for salmon was one thing—eating it? Well, that was another thing. I never liked salmon. The closest I got to eating “fish” was shrimp and crab. I knew the health benefits of salmon, I just wasn’t about to benefit from it personally. Then came the day Alfie instilled a “rule” in our house—you catch it, you eat it.

CRAP! What am I gonna to do?!

Salmon is one of those fish (especially when caught wild) that depending on the time of year you catch it, the conditions, and the stage of life the fish was in—it either has a mild flavor or it can taste extremely “gamey”.

The first time I made the salmon using this recipe, I fell in love!!!

FINALLY—a way for me to eat salmon that was enjoyable, and virtually fool proof to make! I think the combination of herbs helps the flavor of the salmon, gamey or not it always turns out nicely.

I normally grow thyme and rosemary in my garden, and always have paprika and garlic powder in the pantry. So this dinner is always readily available. An on-the-fly meal that doesn’t seem like it’s on-the-fly.

And you can’t go wrong with regards to the seasoning. I load it up on my filets!! I love how through the searing process, the herbs turn in to a crispy crust.

I always pair mine with asparagus, and I included that as part of the recipe, but feel free to pair it with any veggie you like!! We also enjoy topping the filets with a bernaise sauce on special occasions!

Be careful not to overcook your filets. If you do, they will dry out. I normally cook them 3 minutes per side. The whole cooking process goes super quick, so have everything ready to go before you start!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Seared Salmon w/ Asparagus

By Julie

Ingredients

• 8oz salmon
• 1 bushel asparagus
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp. ground rosemary
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Place thyme, rosemary, paprika and garlic powder in small bowl and stir to combine. Rub herb mixture on both sides of salmon filets. Set aside.
2. Heat skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium high, and add coconut oil to skillet.
3. Once coconut oil is melted and hot, add garlic cloves and asparagus and salt to taste. Sautee asparagus for approximately 5 minutes (or until desired doneness).
4. Removed from skillet and cover to keep warm.
5. Keeping heat at medium high, carefully add salmon filets and cover. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes (skillet will smoke, don’t be alarmed).
6. Using a spatula, flip salmon and allow to cook on other side for another 3-5 minutes being careful not to overcook, as salmon will dry out.

No joke, my mouth is watering just writing this 🙂 I love how with moderate use of spices one can  replace fatty / unhealthy dressings. If you put this together with the fact that we fished the fish ourselves, that must be one of the best healthy meals out there.

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