Cast-Iron Salmon With Baby Kale Salad
This recipe features perfectly seared, skin-on salmon cooked in a cast-iron skillet, paired with a vibrant baby kale salad. The salad combines crisp cucumber, fresh dill, crunchy pistachios, and a light red wine vinaigrette. It's a quick, healthy, and flavorful meal, highlighting fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques for a delicious weeknight dinner.
Equipment
- 1 Cast-iron skillet Essential for achieving a crisp salmon skin
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For preparing the salad
- 1 Whisk For emulsifying the vinaigrette
Ingredients
Main
- 4 5- to 6-oz. skin-on salmon fillets
- 0.5 tsp. kosher salt divided
- 1 large cucumber
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
- 1.5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 0.125 tsp. granulated sugar
- 5 Tbsp. olive oil divided
- 1 lemon cut in half crosswise
- 1 5-oz. pkg. baby kale (about 5 cups)
- 0.25 cup shelled pistachios chopped
- 0.25 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice or dice the cucumber, and finely chop the fresh dill and shelled pistachios. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt, and the black pepper to create the vinaigrette.
- Add the baby kale, prepared cucumber, chopped dill, and chopped pistachios to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine and coat the salad ingredients evenly.
- Pat the salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels to ensure a crisp skin, then season all sides with the remaining 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering and almost smoking.
- Carefully place the salmon fillets skin-side down in the hot skillet. Cook for 4-6 minutes, pressing down gently with a spatula to ensure full contact and crispy skin, until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Flip the salmon fillets and continue to cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your desired doneness (internal temperature of 125-130°F for medium-rare).
- Remove the salmon from the skillet and let it rest for a minute or two.
- Squeeze the fresh lemon halves over the cooked salmon fillets.
- Serve the cast-iron salmon immediately alongside the baby kale salad.
Notes
For perfectly crisp salmon skin, ensure fillets are thoroughly patted dry before seasoning. Preheat your cast-iron skillet until smoking point to achieve a beautiful, even sear. Cook skin-side down initially for most of the cooking time to render fat and crisp the skin. Be mindful not to overcook the salmon; it should be moist and flaky, ideally reaching an internal temperature of 125-130°F (52-54°C). For the salad, a quick massage of the baby kale with a tiny bit of olive oil can tenderize it, making it more palatable. Lightly toast the pistachios before chopping to intensify their nutty flavor. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens the entire dish, enhancing both the salmon and the salad.