Chef's Notes
To mellow the taste of the onion, Jacques chops it and rinses it under cold running water.
Preparing the salmon
Place the fish skin-side up on your cutting board and cut it into two even pieces. Then butterfly each piece by cutting ¾ of the way down and opening it up so that the skin is now surrounding the outside of each “steak.” Season both sides of each salmon steak with salt and olive oil, and the paprika on one side.
Step 1: Preparing the salmon
- 1 salmon fillet, skin on, about 10 to 12 ounces
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
- Dash paprika
Step 2: Cooking the salmon “steaks”
Heat a grill or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the salmon steaks and cover with a lid or overturned bowl; cook until just pink in the center, about 2 to 3 minutes depending on thickness.
Step 3: Preparing the garnish and finishing the dish
- 1 cup of antipasto mix from the salad bar containing olives, capers, roasted bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, etc.
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped and rinsed sweet onion, such as Vidalia
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- Basil leaves
Slice the olives and chop the peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes; add the onion and chives and mix well. Spread most of the olive mixture on warm plates. Set the salmon on top and sprinkle with a little more of the olive mixture. Garnish with chives and basil leaves.
Step 4: Serving
Serve immediately.