Blackened Salmon with Citrus Yogurt Sauce

Based loosely on “Broiled Salmon with Citrus Yogurt Sauce” from epicurious.com and “Blackened Salmon with Blue Cheese Sauce” from foodnetwork.com.

Ingredients:

1-4 lbs Salmon*

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

* The quantities listed are easily enough for four pounds of salmon, and probably more.

For the Dry Rub:

1 Tsp Oregano

1 Tsp Parsley

1 Tsp Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Paprika

1½ Tbsp Salt

1½ Tbsp Cayenne Pepper

For the Sauce:

1 Cup Unflavored/Unsweetened Greek Yogurt

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Water

1 Tsp Grated Lemon Zest

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Grated Orange Zest

2 Tbsp Orange Juice

¾ Tsp Salt

½ Tsp Honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash salmon fillets in cold water and remove any pin bones that may be present.  Mix all the spices together for the dry rub, mix well, and then use to coat the salmon.  If the skin is on one side of the fillet, only rub spices on the opposite (eating) side.  If you can spice both sides, be aware that to spice both sides may make the fillet too spicy for the sauce.

In an oven-safe skillet, preferably cast iron, preheat the pan on medium-high heat before melting the butter.  Add the olive oil and mix.  Quickly add the fillet, spicy side down (if there’s a skin side) and fry for about 2 minutes.  Carefully flip the fillet and fry for about one minute before placing the whole pan and fish in the oven.  Bake for about 5 minutes, during which time, you can quickly prepare the sauce.

In a small sauté pan, mix all ingredients for the sauce and warm over low heat.  Your goal is not to cook the ingredients, and in fact, because I’m not a chef, I can’t even say that heating to higher temperatures would work.  Heat and mix the sauce for a few minutes until warm to the touch…about 100 degrees.

Remove the fish from the oven, cut to size, and serve with a healthy serving of sauce on each portion.

You may wonder if the combination of citrus and yogurt with a salt and paprika-based dry rub would work well.  And I can tell you that we were thinking the same thing.  The best I can describe the taste is to say that when you take a bite, your first taste is of the citrusy creamy sauce.  You have enough time to enjoy the sauce before the heat and salt of the rub takes over.  Eventually, the mixing of the flavors is complete, as is the eating experience.