Monday, July 06, 2009

Ginger Roasted Salmon with Seared Scallops on Sautéed Swiss Chard



Ginger Roasted Salmon with Seared Scallops on Sautéed Swiss Chard
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 salmon fillet (about 2” across), skin on
Dressing:
½ tbsp fresh ginger, peeled & grated
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (you can use regular, but the dark is thicker and makes a great glaze)
Juice of ½ lime

½ bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed, drained and chopped (see directions below)
1 large shallot, cut in half length-wise and then sliced across
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Some chicken broth (only if the pan gets too dry before the stems are soft)
Salt & pepper to taste

½ lb/450g fresh sea scallops (Nova Scotian, Digby scallops are awesome!)
Lemon juice – to spritz scallops when nearly done

Directions: Looks complicated, but I promise it's easy if you do it in this order.
Roast Salmon
1.Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Combine all the dressing ingredients (ginger to lime juice) in a small bowl.

2. Lay the salmon, skin side down, on a foil lined, lipped cookie sheet. Coat the top of the salmon with the dressing. Bake in the center of the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick the fillet is. It’s ready when you stick the tip of a knife in the center and it comes out warm. If it’s cold, it’s undercooked.

In the meantime, to prepare the Swiss chard: once the chard is rinsed and patted dry, run a knife along the sides of the stem where it meets the leaf and separate. Once all the stems are together, cut them across in ½” pieces and set aside. Coarsely chop the leaves and keep separate from the stems.

1. While the salmon is roasting, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallots in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes, until they begin to golden. Lower the heat a little and add the stems. Sauté until they are almost soft (about 5 minutes) and add the leaves. If the pan gets dry at this point add a little chicken or vegetable broth. You don’t want soup, but you don’t want it to scorch either. Add the balsamic vinegar and toss until the leaves soften (5 minutes). If they’re still tough, cover and lower heat even more. Taste for seasonings. This is when you’d add more balsamic, or salt & pepper. It should be sweet but with a little tang.

You only cook the scallops when everything else is about ready…seriously – they only take 1 minute per side.

1. Rinse the scallops and pat dry.

2. Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat and once the pan is hot, add the scallops. Season with salt and pepper. Let sear for 30-40 seconds and flip. Spritz some lemon or lime juice and you’re done.

To plate:
Lay the Swiss Chard on the plate, top with the salmon (skin left on the baking sheet) and add the scallops – 2-3 on top and the rest on the side.

2 comments:

GiGi said...

I want to eat this right now! What a wonderful combo - Salmon & Scallops - two of my favorites! It's sad that I never really make scallops though, they just never turn out like the seared to perfection kind that I get at a restaurant!

Ruth Daniels said...

Gigi, the trick to searing scallops is to make sure your pan is very hot - heavy bottom pan on high heat and then just sear for 1-2 minutes per side. Less is more when it comes to making sure scallops taste silky not rubbery. It's as simple as that.