Thursday, March 17, 2011

Baked Salmon on Spring Garlic with Steamed Baby Artichokes

Even though it feels like spring all year round here, this week it announced itself properly by the presence of baby artichokes at the farmer's market. For the patrons who missed the artichokes, the more obvious "Spring Garlic" showed up to the party as well. And so went my shopping trip, finding just five ingredients to put into a quick dinner at home.

Baked Salmon on Spring Garlic with Steamed Baby Artichokes
Burwell General Store

Serves: 2

Active time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
one 8-ounce salmon fillet
one pound fresh baby artichokes, about 20
one bunch spring onions (scallions or leeks will substitute)
two cups broccoli florets, washed and trimmed
4 Tbsp Butter
salt and pepper

Method:
These two items cook for the same amount of time.  Preheat oven to 375F. Then prep artichokes into steamer and let sit while you are prepping salmon.  Turn on the steamer/pot of water, and once boiling, cover artichokes and place the salmon in the oven. About 18 minutes later, both should be done. The artichokes should rest for a couple of minutes to let cool before handling.

Baby Artichokes:
Cut the stems down to the base of the leaves, and remove leaves that have separated from the base.
Rinse and pat dry artichokes.
Place in a steamer basket or a sieve in a deep saucepan filled with water that doesn't touch the sieve.
Cover and steam. After 15 minutes have passed, add broccoli florets to top of steamer basket and let finish steaming with artichokes, 18-20 minutes.

Salmon:
Lightly oil 9" oven-safe saute pan
Rinse and pat dry spring garlic, and cut roots and tops off, to fit into the  9" pan.
Rinse and pat dry salmon fillet, salt and pepper flesh and place skin side down on top of spring garlic.
Place pan in oven and bake for about 18 minutes, or until fish is cooked through when separated in the thickest part with a fork.

To plate, split salmon fillet in half, add portions of broccoli and artichokes, add a finishing pinch of salt and a drizzle of melted butter to the plate. Place the remainder of the melted butter in a ramekin for artichoke dipping.


Et voila, light and healthy farmer's market dinner for two!
Notes: As stripped down as this is, it is still quite flavorful with garlic infusing the salmon (and the entire house, for that matter). The baby artichokes were so tender, once we peeled off a few leaves, we dipped them in butter and the heart was edible almost halfway up the remaining leaves. Also, this dish might accidentally be gluten-free!

5 comments:

  1. anything with baby artichokes.
    yummm

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  2. Well it IS gluten free; say it loud say it proud Sister! A brief soapbox moment: this is a great example of how eating gluten free drives one to eat more whole foods. Very easy to know all ingredients. Of course you can eat Snickers bars and Fritos and be gluten free as well....

    This looks beautiful. Something about things in their most pure state is always more appetizing to me. The artichokes are darling. Our Farmer's Market opens April 1. It won't have much but always feels for a locavore like me as though 'I made it'!

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  3. I second what Toni says about how eating GF makes you eat better/cleaner....sans the fritos of course! I love the artichokes with this dish. I never know what to do with them and so always shy away when I see them. You've reminded me how simple they are to prepare!

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  4. Those artichokes are out of this world! My favorite snack dipping the leaves in vinaigrette as I read.

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