It was at least three years ago that I was aimlessly wandering through a grocery store, as I often do, when I discovered the most delicious sample of salmon. Simple, smokey perfection. The seasoning for this salmon included Lapsang Souchong tea, which sounded way too fancy and expensive to deal with. False. [Dwight Schrute, anyone?].
If you are hesitant to try this recipe in fear of going outside of your cooking comfort zone, don’t be! The Lapsang Souchong tea seasoning is super, super simple! You can purchase the tea in loose leaf form or in tea bags at your grocery store or on Amazon. I bought my tea in loose leaf form from the bulk tea section of Wegmans.
The balance of the smokey salmon and the refreshing citrus salad is unbeatable. If you like salmon, this recipe is a must try… don’t wait three years like I did. 😉
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 2 cups baby kale
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 red bell peppers, julienned
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Citrus Vinaigrette:
- Juice of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Generous pinch of salt
Salmon Ingredients:
- 1 lb salmon (BBQ cut)
- 3 tbsp Lapsang Souchong tea*
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt*
*The Lapsang Souchong seasoning listed in the recipe makes more than you will need for 1 pound of salmon. You will only need to use about half the seasoning for this recipe. Store any remaining seasoning in a ziploc or air-tight container.
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all citrus vinaigrette ingredients and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the meal.
- To make the rub for the salmon, use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to bring the Lapsang Souchong tea and the Himalayan salt to a finer consistency. I used a marble mortar and pestle and it worked great.
- Pat all sides of the salmon with a paper towel to remove any excess oils, then sprinkle tea and salt seasoning on all sides of the salmon and gently rub into the salmon with your hands.
- Before cooking the salmon, saute bell peppers and garlic in your oiled cast iron skillet on medium heat for about 1 minute. Be sure not to cook any longer – we want to saute just enough to weaken some of the bite of the garlic, while also making sure the peppers stay crisp.
- Once bell peppers + garlic are removed from the skillet, add a touch more oil and bring heat to medium-high heat.
- Place salmon skin-side down first, allow to cook 2-3 minutes (do not move fish around until it is time to flip). The medium-high heat should allow both sides of the salmon to crisp up. I like my salmon cooked medium, not well-done, so you may want to cook slightly longer on each side if you prefer well-done.
- Grab the citrus vinaigrette from the fridge and give it a quick whisk, then toss it with your garlic and red bell peppers and mixture of greens.
- Serve your salmon on a bed of the citrus salad in a large bowl. Enjoy!