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.