Seared Salmon w/Sugar Snap-Fennel Slaw
Today's recipe is brought you you by my mom. This is one of my parents' favorite recipes, so I was super excited to try it. Ryan is also a big fan of sugar snap peas, so it was definitely something I knew he would like. I've only cooked with fennel once before and it was pretty much a disaster. My mom's tip for this recipe is to make sure to slice the fennel really thinly for the salad and she's 100% right. The last time I cooked with fennel, I couldn't cut it thin enough and if you eat a big chunk of fennel, it can be really overpowering.
So I would highly recommend using a mandolin for this slaw if you have it. Ryan bought me a mandolin with a hand guard a few years ago and I love using it for preparations like this. I don't use it often, but it's a great device to have for when you need things sliced thinly or evenly. I'm absolutely terrified of cutting my hand on these things because I've heard horror stories about mandolin injuries, but I think that's actually a good thing. I always use my hand guard and I usually have some bits and pieces of vegetables at the end that I either snack on or hand slice. The moral of this story is that if you don't have a sharp knife & good cutting skills or a mandolin, this might not be the recipe for you. I used to leave fennel to the experts, but now that I have the tools to shave it thinly, I think I'll enjoy it much more often.
This was also a really great low-carb recipe to add to our repertoire. I'll be honest, we did have a garlic knot on the side, but it was the perfect amount of food for dinner. There's nothing better than having a delicious, light meal that leaves you satisfied but not overly full.
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs minced shallot
1/2 tsp light brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 large fennel bulb with fronds
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/4 lbs salmon, skinned
2 tsp minced fresh chives
Instructions:
- Combine lemon juice, 2 1/2 tbs oil, shallot, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. Set aside 4 tsp of the dressing in a small bowl.
- Slice top off fennel bulb. Chop 2 tbs of the fronds and add to the large bowl (reserving the remaining fronds for garnish). Halve, core and thinly slice the bulb.
- Thinly slice the snap peas into long matchsticks. Toss the fennel and peas with the dressing in the large bowl. Let stand while you cook the salmon.
- Cut the salmon into 4 even portions and salt & pepper. Heat 1/2 tbs oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the salmon and cook for 2 minutes. Gently turn and continue cooking until opaque in the center, about 2-4 minutes more.
- Divide the slaw and salmon among 4 plates. Drizzle each portion with 1 tsp of the reserved dressing and top with the chives and fennel fronds if desired.
As you can see, I set the mandolin on a slim setting and sliced the fennel incredibly thin. I've gotta say, this was a way better preparation of fennel than my first attempt. I also tried to get the snap peas into thin matchsticks as well, which worked really well.
Top the salad with the cooked salmon, top the plate with fennel fronds, and add the remaining dressing.
This dish was absolutely beautiful and just as tasty.
The only thing better than the taste of this recipe is looking at the nutrition facts. This dish is so full of protein and healthy fats with very few carbs. I'm just starting to study nutrition, but from what I know so far, this dish is incredibly healthy. We'll definitely be making this one again!
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 308
Fat: 16g
Carbs: 10g
Protein: 30 g
*Information based off 1 serving and pulled from the original recipe on eatingwell.com
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