Smoky Salmon Caesar Salad (Printable Version)
Smoky roasted salmon, crisp romaine, Parmesan and garlicky Caesar dressing with crunchy croutons.
# What You Need:
→ Salmon
01 - 2 salmon fillets, about 10.5 oz total
02 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
03 - ½ teaspoon sea salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Salad
06 - 2 large heads romaine lettuce, chopped
07 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - ⅓ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
09 - 1 cup garlic croutons
→ Caesar Dressing
10 - ⅓ cup mayonnaise
11 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Rub the salmon fillets with olive oil, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. Place skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Roast the salmon for 12 to 15 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then flake into large pieces using a fork.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
05 - Toss the chopped romaine lettuce with half of the Caesar dressing. Arrange on serving plates and top with halved cherry tomatoes, Parmesan shavings, flaked salmon, and garlic croutons.
06 - Drizzle with the remaining Caesar dressing and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The smoked paprika trick makes ordinary supermarket salmon taste like it came off a wood fired grill.
- Homemade Caesar dressing comes together in about two minutes and blows anything from a bottle out of the water.
02 -
- Overcooking the salmon by even a few minutes will dry it out, so pull it from the oven when the center still has a faint translucence since carryover heat will finish the job.
- Taste the dressing before adding salt because Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce are already quite salty and it is much easier to add more than to fix an oversalted dressing.
03 -
- Let the dressed salad sit for even five minutes and the romaine will wilt into sadness, so have everything else plated and ready before you pour on that first drizzle.
- Shave the Parmesan with a vegetable peeler instead of grating it for the garnish, because those wide, thin curls melt slightly on the warm salmon and look absolutely beautiful.