Crispy-Skin Seared Salmon, Marinated Chickpeas, & Summer Vegetables with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

By Chez_Alexander

A recipe from The Pantry, Seattle, WA.

Ingredients

• SALMON:
• 3 lbs salmon fillet, cut into 4-6 oz portions
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 TBS safflower oil
• Flakey salt, for finishing
• CHICKPEAS:
• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1 TBS baking soda
• 1 head garlic, sliced in half horizontally
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBS smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili flake
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• SUMMER VEGETABLES:
• 2 lbs English peas, shucked
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 TBS olive oil
• Kosher salt to taste (plus more for boiling water)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• LEMON-TAHINI DRESSING
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 preserved lemon (rind only)
• 1 TBS olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup tahini (e.g., Soom sesame premium tahini)
• 2/3 to 3/4 cups water (as needed)
• Kosher salt, to taste

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

SALMON:

1. Preheat the oven to 450F. While the oven is preheating, heat a large well-seasoned cast iron pan, carbon steel pan, or a non-stick pan to medium/high heat.

2. Season the salmon fillets with salt and black pepper and then set aside.

3. Add safflower oil to the hot pan, tilting the pan to make sure that the oil covers the whole bottom layer of the pan's surface. Wait about 90 minutes until the oil is nice and hot. Gently lay the salmon portions, skin-side down, into the pan, taking care to lay them away from you to reduce oil burns. Immediately give the pan a little shake with one hand to make sure that the fish isn't sticking. Let the fish sear on the skin side for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then place on a baking sheet skin side-up. Place seared fish into the oven. The fish will roast in the oven for about 2-3 minutes. You can check for doneness with a cake tester or with your hand, the fish should feel just barely firm with a soft give.

4. Take fish out of oven, garnish with a pinch of flakey salt, and serve immediately with Chickpeas & Summer Vegetables.

CHICKPEAS:

1. Soak the chickpeas in water overnight with the baking soda in a large stock pot or big mixing bowl. Baking soda, a leavener, softens the beans during the soaking period by raising the pH levels of the water, making the chickpeas more soluble and thus able to cook more quickly. The next day, add the soaked chickpeas and their liquid into a large pot and set on stove.

2. Cook the chickpeas with the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and enough water to submerge the chickpeas. Bring to a boil and drop to a simmer. There will be white foam that forms at the top of the pot. Use a spoon and discard the foam as it forms. Once tender and toothsome (about 40-50 minutes), either strain the chickpeas and discard the liquid or cool them in the cooking liquid in the fridge.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil with the paprika and chili flakes. Heat the oil to 250 degrees, then pour over the diced onions and garlic. This will quickly cook and infuse the oil.

4. Once chickpeas have cooled to room temperature, toss with the infused oil, salt, and zest and juice of one lemon.

SUMMER VEGETABLES;

1. Start with the peas. In a medium sized stock pot bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1/2 cup of salt to the water. Gather a large bowl with 1 quart of ice and 2 quarts of cold water to blanch the peas.

2. Quickly put all of the shucked peas into the boiling water to blanch, using a spider quickly move all the peas around - they will start to bob and float to the surface. Test a pea after about 15 seconds - it should have a nice pop texture to it. Immediately take out all the peas and shock them into the large bowl of ice water.

3. Next, cook the asparagus. A quick note about prepping asparagus: over the years I've gone back and forth with cutting asparagus with a knife, or snapping it in half (theoretically the snap should happen right where the spear goes from being tender and delicious to awful and woody). You can cut a small bit off the end and taste it to ensure that the cut has been made in the correct place.

4. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to high heat. Give the asparagus a good wash by completely covering with cold water and gently agitating the crowns to make sure that that no residual dirt is left in the asparagus. Drain and pat dry.

5. Place the cleaned asparagus on a sheet tray and rub with 1 TBS oil, salt, and a little black pepper.

6. Grill the spears - should only need 1 minute or so on both sides. When cooked, they should feel firm with a slight give.

LEMON-TAHINI DRESSING:

1. Blend the garlic, lemon juice, preserved lemon rind, and olive oil in a blender. Add a pinch of black pepper and continue blending until smooth.

2. While the blender is still running on high, slowly add the tahini and the water to loosen the puree until it reaches the desired consistency. It will go from being a thick paste to a smooth sauce.

3. Adjust for seasoning, as the dressing might need a touch of either salt or pepper. The dressing will keep for about a week in the fridge.

To Serve: Spread the tahini dressing on the bottom of a large salad bowl. Cover with the chickpea mixture, then layer the shucked peas and asparagus on top. Serve the fish alongside a generous helping of the layered salad.

Makes a main course for 8.