Stone Lake Salmon Salad
Instructions:
Roasted salmon:
4 skin-on salmon fillets, approximately 2 lbs.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
Smoked paprika, to taste
Salmon salad:
1/3 cup scallions, sliced
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
A pinch of raw sugar (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Pat dry the salmon fillets with a paper towel and drizzle each fillet with olive oil. Be sure to rub the oil evenly on each piece. Season to taste with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Rest at room temperature for 10 – 20 minutes, then bake in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes until the salmon’s thickest portion is almost cooked through.
3. While the salmon is baking, prep the vegetables for the salad dressing: chop your dill, parsley, celery and scallions and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and pinch of raw sugar. Mix well. Fold in all of the vegetables and herbs.
5. Remove the skin from the cooked and slightly cooled salmon and place it in a medium-sized bowl. Using two forks, gently flake the fish, then add to the larger bowl of dressing. Mix until all of the salmon, herbs, veggies and sauce are fully incorporated.
6. Give it a taste, adjust the seasonings to your liking and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
My Two Cents:
I add a heaping ½ cup of celery to the salad because we like the added crunch.
If you like citrus and smokiness like I do, top your salmon salad with a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of smoked paprika and one more dash of black pepper before your first forkful.
How to enjoy this dish? Any way you like. You can serve it as is with crackers on the side. It’s also fantastic with a charcuterie board, on a croissant, atop a salad or rolled tightly into a tortilla wrap. Try them all.
Back Story:
Unless you’re one of the 1,700 people who call Cassopolis, MI, home, you’re probably asking yourself, “Where is Stone Lake?” It’s tucked quietly away in the southwestern corner of Michigan, along with Diamond Lake, Paradise Lake (Vandalia), Bair Lake (Jones) and several others. Summers in Cass offer a peaceful retreat of small-town living: waving neighbors, tubing on the lake, movies on the deck, fresh vegetables from the farmer’s markets and darker night skies with brighter stars.
And after a day of playing in the sun, you want something easy but tasty to eat, which is typically one of two types of meals: BBQ or an assortment of simple salads and fresh fruit. Though my chicken salad is a staple in warmer months, a couple of family members became pescatarians last year and were visiting with us for the weekend in Michigan, so I needed a seafood salad to round out the lunchtime offerings. Hence, Stone Lake Salmon Salad. Given the scraped-clean serving bowl left on the kitchen island, I would dare say we’ll be adding this to our simple salad rotation. Hope it’ll land on your list, too.
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