Page 98 - A Literary Holiday Cookbook

Seared Salmon with Lemon Dill

Butter

Makes 4 salmon fillets

“Contented sounds saluted his ear. . . . And there was a smell in the air of fish. There was
food. The famine was gone. He came out boldly from the forest and trotted into camp
straight to Grey Beaver’s tepee. . . . Kloo-kooch welcomed him with glad cries and the
whole of a fresh-caught fish.”

Enliven a simple salmon fillet by topping it with aromatic, zesty lemon dill butter.

INGREDIENTS

4 (8-oz.) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup lemon dill butter (See recipe on page 237)

INSTRUCTIONS

1 To prepare the salmon, remove any pin bones from the fillets if

necessary. Pat down the fillets with a paper towel to dry.

2 Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat until it sizzles

strongly when flecked with a few drops of water. Reduce heat to

medium-low.

3 Place 1 fillet skin-side-down in the hot oil and hold down with a

spatula for 1 minute. Sprinkle on ⅛ teaspoon salt and 4 twists of
pepper. Allow to cook for up to 6 minutes more, depending on the

thickness of the fillet. You should be able to lift the fillet from the pan