This recipe is inspired by a side dish at a San Francisco restaurant called Aster. They have a fresh salad of cuke, avocado, coriander, cherry and preserved lemon. I've literally just plopped a hunk of salmon on it.
Click here for a little preserved lemon tutorial. You can buy it in the olive and pickle section of Whole Foods if you don't feel like waiting 6 weeks to cook!
I love this dish because it takes less than 30 minutes to make, and it's perfect for summer when you just want to get out of the kitchen. It's full of great healthy fats from the avocado and salmon, and the cherry and preserved lemon takes it to a totally different place from your standard cucumber salad. This is great for a quick, healthy dinner and would be awesome with a little couscous or quinoa on the side.
Salmon with Cucumber, Cherry and Avocado
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 8 min Total Time: 30 min
Ingredients
1 lb salmon filet, sliced into 4 pieces
2 cucumbers, peeled, sliced lengthwise
6 oz cherries, depitted and chopped roughly
1/4 preserved lemon, flesh scooped from rind
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves removed and chopped finely
1-2 avocado, peeled, halved and sliced
2 green onions, sliced thin on the bias
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Lemon, quartered, for serving (optional)
Rinse salmon and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Place salmon skin-side down in pan and cook for about 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 2 minutes for medium rare, 3-4 minutes for more well-done. I like it rare.
While salmon cooks, slice cucumber thinly on an angle. Mince rind of preserved lemon. In a bowl, toss together cucumber, preserved lemon, chopped cilantro leaves, and a splash of olive oil. Taste and season with salt.
To serve, spread a layer of the cucumber salad over the plate. Scatter with chopped cherries, avocado slices and green onions. Place warm salmon on top of salad, and add a slice of lemon to the plate.
