Blackened Trout Salad with Lemony Salad Dressing

One of my favorite weeknight meals is a big salad of greens, veggies and toppers and a nice piece of protein such as steak, chicken breast or fish. Here is a simple recipe for blackened seafood fillet featuring steelhead trout, but could also be substituted for salmon or other firm fish. Also, the versatile blackening seasoning goes great with chicken, pork and steak too, which can be prepared in a skillet, under the broiler or on the grill.

Blackened trout or salmon can be paired with any combination of side dishes for an entrée, and is great atop a big salad. I don’t give a recipe for a salad because you can use whatever you like, have on hand or is in season. I always keep greens on hand, along with red onion, cucumber, tomato and bell pepper. I also have an ample supply of salad toppers like hot cherry peppers, pepperinchinos, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and olives to give my salads extra punch and for variety. Since seafood and lemon go great together, I’ve also included a tangy lemon dressing recipe for the salad.

Blackening Seasoning 

Ingredients:

·         2 Tbsp Paprika

·         1 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and kosher salt

·         ½ tsp dried summer savory (rubbed in palm)

Directions:

There are a couple ways to cook a piece of fish with blackening seasoning, and either is great. One way is to apply the seasoning directly to the fish and cook on a hot surface such as a cast-iron skillet. A second way is to first rub the fish with a little oil and then apply the blackening so that the spice and oil come together to create kind of a wet rub. From here the fish can then be cooked in a hot dry skillet, on the grill, under the broiler or in a little more oil in a skillet. I did the latter for the fish in the photos here. I cooked the fillet on a medium high heat for about 4 minutes on one side and then for just a minute or two on the second side. I then removed the fish from the heat and covered it with foil to let it rest and just cook through. Just before adding the fish to the salad I sprinkled the filets with the zest and juice of half a lemon.

Lemony Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

·         ¼ cup lemon juice

·         zest of 1 lemon

·         2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

·         ½ tsp of blackening seasoning

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and screw on the lid. Shake vigorously to combine into a homogeneous mixture. Toss salad greens in a little of the dressing just prior to plating and drizzle more to taste over your salad and fish.

Steelhead Trout Burgers

Anyone who has ever gone trout fishing (or "troutin" as we say in Newfoundland) probably knows it doesn't get much better then having a shore lunch or breakfast at the cabin consisting of fresh trout (either whole or fillets) fried in bacon fat, served with bacon, fried potatoes and toast. Although a simple meal, it's hard to beat the combination of the smokey bacon, super fresh fish and savory potatoes. Recently I took this classic meal and did my best to turn it into a burger. What I have come up with is a steelhead trout burger served on a toasted potato roll, with lettuce, sliced tomato and crisp bacon strips. The kicker is a homemade peppery lemon-dill mayo.

With or without a food processor, preparing the fish couldn't be easier, and the mayo takes just a second to whip up. If you don't have fresh trout, salmon works equally well. Here's how I did it all.

Steelhead Trout Burgers

- 16-20oz fresh steelhead trout fillet (free of bones and skin removed)
Using a large knife, chop the fish into small pieces, about 1/2 inch, pieces (or pulse in a food processor, but don't overdo it, about 5-6 pulses).
In a large bowl, combine the chopped fish with the following:
- juice and zest of half a lemon
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs (such as panko)
- 1 egg, beaton
- splash of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/4 Tbsp fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt

Mix with hands and form into 4 burger patties. cover with wax paper and let set up in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, these may be grilled or broiled, but I gave mine a quick saute.

In a large non-stick fry pan, over a medium heat, add:

- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Once oil shimmers, add the 4 burgers. Cook on one side for about 4 minutes and flip, and continue to cook to desired doneness. Another 3 minutes should cook it all the way through., It's important not to overcook these so they retain their moistness. Season the top with a little more pepper.

Peppery Lemon-Dill Mayo

In a bowl, mix the following:
- 1 cup mayo
- 3 Tbsp dill, minced
- juice and zest of a lemon
- 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
- 1/8 Tbsp kosher salt

While the burgers are setting up, prepare the toppings, by cooking some good quality bacon until crisp, and slicing a tomato, and chopping some lettuce. For the rolls I use potato bread hamburger buns (which I love by the way because they are high in protein and fiber, but taste like white bread), which I toast. To assemble, put a layer of of the mayo on the bottom, followed by lettuce, tomato and bacon., follewed by the burger and a dollop of the mayo.

This might be the best fish sandwich I've ever had!