Cast Iron Salmon on Arugula with Cilantro & Avocado “Dressing”
This is for the moment in the summer when you’re sick of simple carbs and meat and even the summer veggie standbys. Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems
- 8 leaves mint
- 1 – 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- Juice of one lime
- ½ serrano pepper, cored
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more on-hand
- 1¾ – 2 lbs. salmon, skin removed
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- Good parmesan, for serving
Preparation
- Make the dressing: add avocado, garlic, lime juice, mint, cilantro, and serrano to a small food processor and chop for a few pulses. With the food processor running, add olive oil in a steady stream, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed. The sauce should come together and just drip off a spoon—If it’s too thick, you can thin it out with more lime juice or a few teaspoons of water. Set aside.
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it’s nearly smoking. Meanwhile, season both sides of salmon with a sprinkle of salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Add salmon to the skillet, and sear until opaque about 1⁄3 of the way up (about 4–5 minutes), then flip and sear the opposite side. The fish is done when it flakes easily and reaches an internal temperature of 135º F. Remove from heat and set aside.
- While salmon rests, thinly slice some parmesan. Arrange arugula on plates, top with salmon, dollops of sauce, parmesan, and extra cilantro.