Serves 4
For the salsa verde:
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh parsley
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
11/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups loosely packed torn fresh-baked bread (without the crust)
1/4 cup white verjuice or fresh lemon juice
For the salmon:
4 5- to 6-ounce skin-on reefnet-caught wild salmon filets
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the salsa verde:
Place the basil, parsley, mint, garlic, and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add the chunks of bread and continue to process until the bread is gravel-size. Add the verjuice or a couple of squeezes of lemon, tasting for a balance of acidity and sweetness. Set aside at room temperature. (If making the day before, refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.)
To cook the salmon:
Season both sides of the salmon filets with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat the olive oil until almost smoking over medium-high heat. Add the butter. As the butter is browning, add the salmon, skin side down. Using a spatula, press the salmon into the pan and decrease the heat to medium-low. Let the skin crisp for 2 to 3 minutes, then carefully flip the fish over in the pan. Turn the heat off and let the fish cook in the residual heat for another minute or so. (You may need to increase the cooking time, depending on the thickness of your salmon.)
When serving, place a salmon filet on each serving plate and spoon the salsa verde around the salmon.
– Jill Lightner, “Edible Seattle”
