Pan-Seared Salmon with Fava Bean Sauce

This elegant Pan-Seared Salmon with Fava Bean Sauce highlights the best of spring flavors — crisp, golden salmon with a tender, flaky interior paired with a bright, tangy fava bean sauce. The technique of searing the salmon on one side before finishing it in the oven ensures a gorgeous crust and perfectly moist flesh. Serve the sauce either as a smooth purée beneath the fish for a refined presentation or left rustic and spooned over the top. Either way, it’s a stunning dish that tastes as beautiful as it looks.

INGREDIENTS:

4 (4-ounce) King salmon fillets, skin removed
Salt and and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano, plus 1 tablespoon minced
1-2 tablespoons of very flavorful Extra Virgin olive oil
1 recipe Fava Bean Sauce topping

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Pat the salmon dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.

For extra herb flavor, lightly crush half of the herb sprigs and layer them with the salmon in a dish or resealable bag. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Remove the fish and brush off the herbs before cooking.

Heat an ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add a thin film of olive oil. Place the salmon fillets in the pan presentation side down (the side that would have had skin facing up). Cook without moving for 3–4 minutes, until the color lightens about ¼ inch up the side and the bottom is deeply golden.

Scatter the remaining herb sprigs over the fish. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 6–8 minutes, depending on thickness, until the salmon just flakes when pressed gently with a finger.

Spoon a portion of warm Fava Bean Sauce onto each plate. Using a spatula, lift the salmon fillets from the pan and set them on top of the sauce, seared side up. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with the minced herbs.

Serve immediately while hot.

CHEF’S NOTES:

The rule of thumb for perfect fish is “8 minutes per inch of thickness.” Most salmon fillets are about 1½ inches thick, so total cooking time is around 12 minutes — about 4 minutes on the stovetop and 8 minutes in the oven. (See Chef’s Guide for Selecting and Cooking Fish here.)

VARIATIONS:

  • Moroccan style: Add ras el hanout to the fish and season the fava sauce with cumin and coriander.

  • Provençal: Use thyme and marjoram in the sauce, and top the salmon with tapenade.

  • Spanish: Stir chopped green olives and smoked paprika into the sauce.

YIELD: Serves 4

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