- Course: Main Course
- Skill Level: Moderate
- Cost: Moderate
- Favorited: 2 Times
Recipe
When I was a child, I despised black jellybeans. I went so far as to think of them as assault weapons designed by adults to keep the candy bowl away from the children (see also: Good & Plentys and black licorice drops). But tastes change, children mature into adults, and suddenly I’m the one foisting licorice-tasting fennel onto children’s plates. Fennel has become my favorite vegetable, next to kale; it marries perfectly with the strong character and richness of wild salmon. In this recipe, it is featured two ways: as a fennel salt rub and in wedges, smoky and sweet from the grill.
Ingredients
For the fennel salt:
- 1 tablespoon dried fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
For the vegetables:
- 1 large fennel bulb, stems removed, cut into thin wedges, small frond pieces reserved for garnish
- 1 red onion, cut into thick slices
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the salad:
- ¼ cup plain Greek-style yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Pinch of cayenne
- ½ teaspoon honey
- Salt
- 4 cups salad greens (mixture of arugula, frisée, mizuna etc.)
For the salmon:
- 1 pound sockeye salmon fillet, skin on, cut into 4 equal portions
- Vegetable oil, for oiling the grill
Directions
To prepare the fennel salt, grind the fennel seeds, salt, and peppercorns together in a spice grinder. Reserve.
To prepare the vegetables, in a medium bowl, toss the fennel and onion with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the fennel salt.
To prepare the salad, in a small bowl combine the yogurt, mustard, cayenne, and honey. Season to taste with salt. Right before serving, lightly coat the greens with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Reserve the rest to use as a sauce for the salmon.
To prepare the salmon, remove the pin bones (see Notes). Coat the salmon pieces on all sides with the remaining fennel salt and set them aside on a plate in the refrigerator.
Preheat an outdoor gas grill or indoor grill pan to high heat. Oil the grill rack with vegetable oil.
Grill the fennel wedges and onion slices for 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Grill the salmon, skin side up, until the grill marks are clearly visible. Sockeye is usually fairly thin, so a ½-inch thick piece should cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
This is a great dish to serve family-style on a large platter. Place the salad in the middle of the platter and top with the salmon. Scatter the vegetables all around the platter. Garnish with small fennel fronds. Serve with the reserved sauce on the side.
Notes
Go to www.goodfishbook.com for a demonstration of how to remove pin bones from a fillet.
PAIRING: A California pinot noir, such as Saintsbury Carneros 2007, or a New Zealand pinot noir.
© 2011 Becky Selengut






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