“Ooh” I gasped under my breath as the waiter deftly lowered my plate, carefully centering it in front of me. Before I could gain my composure he had swept away with an enthusiastic injunction to me to “enjoy”.
I had been taken to lunch by a friend who was convinced that I would love the fabulous salmon salad this restaurant was known for. This was years ago just when blackened salmon was just becoming a new sensation. Although I’d heard of it, I’d never yet seen it, nor was I at all expecting my salmon at this lunch to be blackened, but here it was before me…..and very black indeed..
Determined to make this a positive experience for the sake of my friend I bravely, though skeptically, took my first taste, and with that taste I became a fan. Now, years later I now have developed my own version, somewhat modified but very flavorful. I highly recommend it to all salmon lovers, especially at this season of the year.
SERVINGS4peopleCHANGE SERVING SIZEpeople |
COOK TIME10minutes |
PREP TIME10 minutes |
READY IN20minutes |
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp Paprika
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp Onion salt
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 fresh lemon juice
- 4 6-oz salmon fillet skinned
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne, thyme, teaspoon of the onion salt.
- In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 ½ tablespoons of the butter. Add the lemon juice.
- Working with 1 salmon fillet at a time, dip the top and bottom halves first in the lemon butter, then in the spices.
- Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon until blackened to your liking about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the oven for 8 minutes.