Pan-Seared Salmon With Greens, Tomatoes and Chives

Here’s a quick, delicious and restaurant-grade dish you can make for yourself or for your guests. In either instance, this recipe will impress.

I recently learned of a French Chef named Raymond Blanc, through his cooking show called Simply Raymond Blanc. Chef runs a restaurant in an English castle and the show is set there with guest chefs dropping in to showcase some recipes as well.

This dish is his but I’ve prepared it in a way without losing the essence of the dish. There are three components: wilted greens (Chef uses spinach but I used baby arugula), a sauce made of shallots, butter, tomatoes and chives and last but not least, the salmon.

You will need three pans but the dish is easy and clean-up a breeze.

Pan-Seared Salmon With Greens, Tomatoes and Chives

(serves 2)

For the Greens

8 cups baby spinach (or arugula), washed

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

For the Tomato Chive Sauce

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced shallot or white onion

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives

salt and pepper to taste

For the Salmon

2 boneless salmon fillets

sea salt and ground pepper

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1. For the greens, add a 1/4 cup of water to a medium pot, some salt and bring to a boil. Add the greens and cover. As soon as the greens have wilted, take off the heat adjust seasoning with salt. Keep covered/warm.
2. For the tomato chive sauce, add the olive oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the water, stir in and once simmering, add the butter and swirl the pan to create an emulsion.
3. Add the tomatoes, stir in then the lemon juice. Take off the heat and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the chives, stir in and set aside.
4. For the salmon, wipe both sides of the fillet with paper towel. Drizzle both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Place a large non-stick pan on your stovetop over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. of oil and place fillets skin side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until skin is crisp, flip the fillets and cook another 2-3minutes. Take pan off the heat.
6. To serve, the the spinach out of the pot and divide and plate at the base of each dish.
7. Place the salmon in the center then spoon the tomato chive sauce around the fish and serve.