Salmon with dill is the Swedish equivalent to American meat loaf. When I was growing up in Sweden, it was the weeknight dish that every family had almost every week. I still love the simplicity of this dish, although I now kick up the heat a few notches with a few dashes of chile powder. I love to pair this salmon with my raw kale salad; the mix of kale and root vegetables makes a salad that's not only healthy, but restaurant-level impressive. This cooking technique will give you salmon that's creamy, almost custardy. If you prefer it more well done, leave it in the skillet for a few more minutes.

From: ‘Marcus Off Duty’ by Marcus Samuelsson

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chile powder

  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, finely ground

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, finely ground

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • Four 6-ounce skin-on sushi-grade salmon fillets, halved

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges, plus more for serving

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the dill, chile powder, coriander, cumin, along with a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  2. Transfer half of the spice mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the mustard to make a paste.

  3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the toasted garlic butter into the paste.

  4. Season the salmon fillets with salt and the dry spice blend on both sides.

  5. Wipe out the large skillet. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the olive oil in the large skillet over medium-high heat.

  6. When the oil shimmers, add the salmon fillets, skin-side down. Add 1 tablespoon butter and about half of the lemon wedges. Cook, continuously spooning the pan liquid over the fillets, until the skin is crispy, about 4 minutes. You'll see the color changing as the salmon cooks from the bottom.

  7. Flip the salmon, add 1 tablespoon butter, spread the paste on the skin with a rubber spatula and cook, continuously spooning the pan liquid over the fillets, until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze the remaining half of the lemon wedges over the fillets. Transfer the fillets to a plate and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with fresh dill and serve with lemon wedges. Let the salmon rest for a few minutes before serving if desired.