I’ll spare you the usual “can-you-believe-I-posted-a-salad” routine — it’s getting old. I liked the idea of this plate, but after the first bite I was done. It will probably be a couple of months before another salad shows up here.
Let’s move on to the good stuff: the salmon.
To make every bite sing, I coated the salmon in maple syrup and a few bold seasonings. Sweet and savory is one of my favorite combinations — whether it’s chips and chocolate or, as it turns out, maple and salmon.
Now, about the greens: to make them more approachable I poured warm dressing over them so they would wilt gently. The only warm dressing I’ve had before was a hot bacon dressing, and I fully intend to recreate that someday — when I’m ready to be elbow-deep in bacon grease and savor every salty, smoky bite. Yes, like your grandma, I keep bacon grease in the fridge. Don’t judge.
The salmon turned out crispy and buttery, but I have to admit the warm mustard vinaigrette might have been the highlight. I’m not normally a fan of dressing on vegetables — I’ll dip bread into it until it’s gone before I cover a salad. That bias aside, I genuinely loved this dressing, and you should try it.
Maple-Glazed Salmon
Serves 2–3
1 lb salmon fillet
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Combine the olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, seasoned salt and brown sugar in a baking dish. Add the salmon and turn it to coat completely. Let marinate in the fridge for 4–6 hours.
Heat a skillet over medium-high and preheat the broiler. Sear the salmon in the skillet for about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fillet to a baking sheet or broiler pan and broil 4–5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until caramelized and cooked through.
Serve the salmon over baby greens or spring mix.
Warm Mustard Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard (I used a garlicky mustard)
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, mashed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until combined and just warm. Pour over the greens so they wilt slightly and absorb the flavors.
Feel free to add more vegetables if that’s your style. I’m partial to keeping it simple, but crisp croutons or a little bacon would pair beautifully with the warm greens — and yes, that’s likely to happen during my next bacon binge.