Crispy Salmon with Wilted Greens

Well, Happy Valentine’s Day. I’m off to Paris for the weekend, so this will be the only post you’ll see until next week. Have a good weekend.

We all know that we need to eat more fish, or do we? It is so confusing, but one thing is for certain a great piece of wild fish is delicious. I have discovered a great source for fish that though not fresh, I can trust where it is coming from. Trader Joe’s carries a multitude of different kinds of frozen fillets. Some of them come doctored and some of them come plain.

Salmon is one fish that I am a big fan of. When I was younger living in the middle of the prairie it was a big deal when the Safeway would have the big semi-truck arrive full of wild salmon from British Columbia. My dad was always one of the first customers there picking out at least 2 large fish to bring home. He always prepared it simply and it was always delicious.

There are many different kinds of salmon, but please try not to buy farm raised. It is usually high in PCB’s and full of antibiotics. Where my relatives live near Vancouver there is a large fish farming industry and you won’t see anyone in town who eats farm raised salmon, even if they get it for free. A farm raised salmon will have a much lighter colored flesh when uncooked than a wild caught salmon. Trader Joe’s labels their fish really well so it is easy to find the wild caught.

Here is a simple recipe for salmon that combines the rich fish with a simple dish of wilted greens. It is from Donna Hay again and if you’d like another dish to serve this with I would make a simple couscous.

Crispy Salmon with Wilted Greens

Serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 - 7 oz wild caught salmon fillets
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
7 oz baby spinach
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and the salmon, skin side down, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm.

In the same saucepan add the butter and over medium heat let it melt. Add the onion and the garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add the zucchini, spinach, lemon rind, parsley and milk and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the spinach is fully wilted. Serve the greens on a plate topped with the salmon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!