Seared Salmon & Veggies with Avocado Dill Purée
Seared Salmon & Veggies with Avocado Dill Purée
4 servings | 35 minutes
This Seared Salmon & Veggies with Avocado Dill Purée combines crispy, perfectly seared salmon with caramelized fingerling potatoes, sautéed chard, and a creamy avocado dill purée. It's the ideal weeknight dinner, blending the last flavors of summer with cozy fall vibes for a delicious, satisfying meal.
Even though this is supposed to be our warm season, there’s no denying that fall is nipping at our heels. The crisp mornings and earlier sunsets are a reminder that summer’s golden days are winding down, and I’m honestly pretty ready to sink into the coziness that is fall. But since the weather and the markets are straddling summer and fall, let’s lean into the late summer vibes a little longer. This Seared Salmon & Veggies with Avocado Dill Purée is one of my recent weeknight favorites. Crispy salmon served over a creamy avocado dill purée, caramelized fingerling potatoes and sautéed chard, it’s the perfect bite to savor the last bits of summer but cozy enough for the crisp fall feelings in the air.
Hooked on these tips
Cold fish straight from the fridge can lead to an uneven cook, with the center lagging behind the outer layers. Let it sit out for about 30 minutes before it hits the pan.
As you sear the skin side of the fish, use the pooling oil trick for a smooth unilateral sear! Tilt your skillet slightly and repetitively spoon the hot oil over the top of the salmon to cook the fleshy side. This help transfer heat and cook the fish without over doing it like you would if you flipped it over and seared both sides.
Don’t wash that skillet! Once the salmon is done, it leaves behind a world of flavor that’s perfect for caramelizing the potatoes and sautéing the chard.
Long day? Want some wine? Grab a bottle of Albariño, Chablis, Rosé, Pinot Noir, or Beaujolais for this fishy dishy and pretend you didn’t have 10 meetings today that could have just been emails.
Seared Salmon & Veggies with Avocado Dill Purée
4 servings | 35 minutes
Ingredients
2 medium avocados, halved
2 limes, juiced
¼ cup (5g) dill, save a few extra sprigs for garnish
1 lb (455 g) fingerling potatoes
1 bunch of chard, roughly chopped
2 salmon filets, about 1 lb (500g) in total
neutral oil, like canola
2 tablespoons (25g) butter
kosher salt
chili crisp, for optional drizzle
2 radishes, thinly sliced
Instructions
Remove the salmon from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking to allow the fish to come up to room temperature. This will help it cook evenly later!
Add the 2 halved avocados, juice from 2 limes, 1/4 cup of dill, and a pinch of salt into a blender and blend until smooth. If it’s not coming together easily, you can add a splash or two of water then blend again to help smooth it out.
Add 1 pound fingerling potatoes to a pot with just enough cold water to cover plus a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until a fork can pierce the potatoes with little tension, 10-15 minutes. Drain, allow to cool slightly then cut them into roughly ½” thick coins. Remove the stems and roughly chop the collard green leaves. Set the veggies aside.
If your butcher didn’t already do this, remove any pin bones from the salmon filets and discard.
Bring a 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat and allow it to fully heat up before adding any oil. Season the salmon on all sides with a big pinch of salt while you wait on the skillet to heat up.
Once it’s good and hot, add in enough neutral oil to evenly cover the bottom of your pan, about 4 tablespoons, then add in the salmon filets skin side down. We’ll cook the salmon most of the way through on the skin side of the fish, about 5 minutes.
As it’s cooking, tilt the skillet to one side so that the oil pools up. Spoon the hot oil over top of the fleshy side quite a few times to baste until the salmon begins to change to a light pink. This helps it cook to medium rare without over cooking the fleshy side.
After 5 minutes, the salmon should be cooked, crisp, and will lift away from the pan without sticking. If the skin is not crisp enough, you can turn the heat up to high and cook for 1-2 minutes longer. If the fleshy side needs some help, you can turn off the heat, flip it over and cook for an extra minute—be careful not to over cook it.
Baste the top of the salmon a couple more times then remove it from the skillet and allow it to rest skin side up while you cook the veggies.
Using the same skillet you cooked the salmon in, add the cut potatoes in an even layer and cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until caramelized. Flip the potatoes to begin crisping the other side then add 2 tbsp (25g) butter, the chopped collards, and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and sauté the veggies together for about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Divide the avocado mousse among two plates creating a swoopy base across the dish. Spoon the collards and potatoes over top of the avocado mousse and place a salmon filet on top of the veggies. Drizzle with chili crisp, if using, and garnish with a thinly sliced radish, a few sprigs of dill, and a pinch of flake salt.
