Greek Marinated Salmon with Asparagus

Greek food ranks very high in our home! It’s fresh, clean, bright, citrusy, herbaceous, healthy, and delicious! Salads aside, when I’m in a pinch or find myself wondering what to do with a piece of meat, fish or chicken that needs to be marinated I almost always reach for this Greek-inspired situation. I always have the ingredients available in the pantry and it takes no time at all to get things rolling in the kitchen.

The other day I picked up a beautiful filet of wild salmon at the market and had every intention of grilling it on my wood planks (see Sesame-Ginger Cedar Plank Salmon recipe here). However, the weather wasn’t cooperating in Toronto so I had to improvise. Enter my Staub grill pan to the rescue. I love this grill pan. The inside and outside are coated in an enamel, which means it does not need to be seasoned like traditional cast-iron pans. However, I do find that it can be a bit fickle in terms of its non-stick capabilities.

If you don’t want to fork over some serious coin on a grill pan, I recommend this Lodge Cast-Iron model. Lodge makes some of the best cast-iron products I’ve ever had the pleasure of using and for around $15 you can’t go wrong. As with other cast-iron products, you will have to maintain and season it regularly. The trade-off is a high-quality, non-stick pan that will likely outlast you.

Greek on Fleek

As mentioned, this Greek-inspired marinade works on just about everything. I’ve used it on lamb, chicken, beef, shrimp, scallops and everything in between. Though, until this recipe, I actually never tried it on salmon! I was not disappointed! The fish soaks up all of the garlicky, herbaceous flavours and needs very little time to marinade. I’m talking thirty minutes to an hour in the fridge and you’re ready to go! I like to serve it with a simple, Greek salad and some grilled seasonal veggies. It’s asparagus season in Toronto and we’ve been reaping the rewards. If you can’t get asparagus in your neck of the woods, try zucchini, eggplant, or mushrooms. Heck, try whatever you like! You’re the boss, applesauce!

My super secret tip for the best Greek salad? Try warming up the tomatoes in the grill pan at the very end. The heat from the pan will soften the tomatoes and help them release their juices. It will also slightly intensify their flavours. Don’t worry, once you toss the tomatoes with the rest of the salad and the dressing they will cool down in temperature. Although, there ain’t nothing wrong with a warm salad. Amirite?

I hope you like this recipe and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below!

Cheers,

Ronny

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)

1lb wild salmon filet – preferably skin on

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried mint

1 tsp dried basil

2-3 garlic cloves – finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

1/2 lbs asparagus – stems removed

1/4 cup EVOO

for the Greek Salad:

big hand-full cherry tomatoes – halved

1/2 english cucumber – cubed

1/4 red onion – thinly sliced

1 green pepper – cubed

kalamata olives – approx 3-4 per person

lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to dress (as desired)

hemp hearts – for garnish

METHOD:

for salmon:

1. Add thyme, mint, basil, EVOO, lemon juice, and garlic to a bowl and stir to combine – set aside
2. Rinse and pat salmon dry with paper towel. Slice filet into 2″ wide portions. Season both sides of the filets with salt and pepper and transfer to a zip-top bag. Pour in the marinade and gently massage the salmon to coat. Lay the salmon flat in the bag, fold over the top half, squeeze out all of the air and seal. Transfer to fridge and let marinade 30min to one hour
3. When ready to cook, preheat grill-pan or grill over medium-high heat. If necessary, add 1-2tsp EVOO to the hot pan to prevent sticking. Season asparagus with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. On one side of the pan, lay salmon skin-side down first. Add asparagus and tomatoes on the other side of the pan. Cook salmon approx. 3-4 minutes per side for medium, or longer for well-done. Veggies should take the same amount of time – flip regularly to avoid burning.
5. Transfer salmon and veggies to serving platter. Garnish with fresh dill and serve with roast potatoes or in a Greek salad (see below)

for the greek salad:

1.  Add grilled cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onion, and olives to a mixing bowl. Drizzle with a few glugs of EVOO and a squeeze of lemon. Toss everything to coat. *Taste for seasoning. If it needs a bit of salt or pepper you can add some. We like to keep the salad really simple here.

to serve:

1. Serve family style so that everyone can help themselves to as much or as little salmon, asparagus and salad as they like. It’s more fun this way!