Treat the family to a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids with this easy-to-make, delicious and nutritious salmon dish from True North ambassador, Chef Rick Moonen. True North salmon is harvested and shipped daily to FreshDirect from Blacks Harbour, a small fishing community located on the cusp of the Gulf of Maine in New Brunswick, meaning freshness is guaranteed.
Total Recipe Time: 35-70 minutes
Makes 4 servings
What You’ll Need:
4 salmon fillets, skin removed
Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper
2 tbs. fresh dill stems removed, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 small red onion, peeled and fine diced
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into ½ inch dice
4 plum tomatoes, cut into ½ inch dice
½ cup black olives (Kalamata)
½ pound orzo pasta (about one cup)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
Fresh-ground black pepper
What to Do:
Season both sides of salmon generously with salt and pepper. Blend dill and olive oil together and brush over salmon. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to 1 hour.In a strainer set over a medium bowl, toss the cucumber, onion and tomatoes with 1 tsp of kosher salt and let drain for 15 minutes.Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orzo until just done, about 9 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Toss the cooked orzo with the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh dill and black pepper. Fold in the cucumber mix and the black olives. Set aside while you cook the salmon.Pre-heat grill (or broiler) until very hot. Place salmon on grill and cook 2-3 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fillets (for a 3/4″ thick piece, this will yield perfectly cooked salmon, medium rare). Mound the orzo evenly in the center of four plates. Top with the salmon and garnish with fresh lemon zest and chopped dill.