A combination of fresh corn tossed with avocado and a hint of lime juice is an easy topper for salmon. You can grill the salmon, but to get the skin crisped while keeping the salmon flesh tender, try this pan-seared method. It takes all of 8 minutes from start to finish. Prepare the salsa before you cook the salmon to have a ready-to-go meal.
Serve with warm bread or a quinoa salad if you want to add carbs to the meal.
Salmon with Corn Avocado Salsa Recipe
To pan-sear salmon:
4 – 8 ounce skin on salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 ear fresh corn, husked and kernels cut off
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, torn
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
While preparing the salsa, place salmon fillets on a rack on top of a baking sheet to allow air to pass on both sides. This dries the skin for better crisping. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy sauté pan over high heat.
Note: I know cast iron skillets are all the rage, but not for fish. The oil from the salmon is hard to eliminate and will “flavor” everything else you cook in it for some time.
Add olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Place fillets in pan flesh side down and sear for one minute, or until fish easily releases from pan and is beginning to have some brown coloration. Press gently on fish to make sure all parts come into contact with the pan.
Using a thin spatula, gently flip fillets to sear the skin. Lower heat to medium and crisp skin for about 3 minutes, pressing down on fish occasionally to prevent curling. Test for doneness by flaking with a fork or by inserting an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the flesh — it should register 145°F for medium. Remove fish from pan and let rest on clean plate for 5 minutes so juices redistribute. If you wish to remove the skin, gently slide a thin spatula between skin and flesh and work your way across the fillet.
For the corn avocado salsa:
Combine avocado and red onion in medium bowl. Place corn kernels in skillet used to cook salmon and cook for 1 minute over medium-high heat to toast in spots. Remove from skillet and add to avocado onion mixture. Toss gently and add cilantro. In separate bowl, whisk lime juice and olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over vegetables and toss gently to coat. Set aside and spoon over salmon.
