Seared Salmon with Creamy Greens and Roasted Pepper Sauce

Woohoo! I think this is week four of trying to eat fish at least once a week plus I made Matt happy with another Mexican dish. Our grocery store had some beautiful Copper River Salmon this week so we went with a salmon recipe.

I think this dish turned out really stunning with the creamy green sauce against the pink of the salmon. And let me tell you it tasted even better than it looked. The roasted poblano chile is the ingredient that really gives this dish the most of its flavors. Poblanos are quickly becoming a favorite of mine because of their wonderful flavor & no heat (yes, I'm a wimp.). The original recipe didn't mention serving the fish on rice but we enjoyed the addition, I liked to break up the fish & mix everything together in one bite.

Seared Salmon with Creamy Greens & Roasted Pepper Sauce
(adapted from Rick Bayless Mexican Everyday )

1 fresh poblano chile
5 oz greens, cleaned (we used a mix of spinach, arugula & hon tsai tai)
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled & halved
1 T masa flour
3/4 c milk
2 four ounce salmon fillets (the recipe called for skinless but ours had skin & it was no problem to remove after cooking)

Roast the poblano over an open flame or in the broiler until blackened all over. Let sit in a covered bowl until cool enough to handle. Under running water rub off all the blacked skin. Removed the stem & seeds then roughly chop.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add the garlic & cook until lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic but leave the oil in the pan for cooking the fish.

Put the poblano, garlic, masa & milk in a food processor or blender & process until very smooth. Set aside.

Put the greens in a microwave safe bowl & cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the wrap. Microwave on high until wilted, 1 -2 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Heat the skillet with the oil in it to medium-high. Season the salmon with salt & pepper. Lay the fish in the hot oil & cook until nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip & cook until barely done (it will finished cooking in the oven). Transfer the fish to an ovenproof plate & put in the oven to keep warm.

Add the poblano mixture to the hot skillet & whisk until it comes to a boil & thickens. Reduce the heat & let simmer for about 5 minutes. If it gets thicker than a cream soup add a little more milk. Season with salt. Add the wilted greens & stir until just warm.

Remove the fish from the oven & serve with the sauce.

Serves 2

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