Last Night at Chez Bart: Grilled Salmon Sandwiches

The last two nights have been spent clearing out the 'fridge of all the leftovers from my previous weekend culinary odyssey. Today, with a clean fridge, I fretted about trying to think of what I wanted to make. Knowing I would probably have to work late, it had to be snappy. And since I hate bad food, it had to sound good. Finally - after much perusing - I settled on this little gem: Barefoot Contessa's Grilled Salmon Sandwiches.


Store Notes: The salmon will cost you a penny; I spent $30 on the 2lbs that I bought. I am not going to lie though: it was beautiful salmon. Otherwise, make sure you remember to pick up the capers, white wine vinegar, and Mesclun mix. Holiday Market didn't have the Mesclun, so I just went with baby romaine. Also, the sauce calls for 3/4 of a cup of fresh dill, which is a ton of dill. When I made this, I bought a package and it wasn't enough!


For gadgets, a food processor makes preparing the sauce much easier.

Ingredients of the sauce about to
get processed

Prep Notes: One can make the sauce well in advance. Just place all the prescribed ingredients into the food processor and flick the switch. You might have to stop it once or twice and, using a spatula, force the sauce that collects on the sides of the bowl down so it can be mixed. Once the sauce is well-mixed, add the capers and pulse a few times. Voi la! Now either place in the 'fridge for use later, or set aside.

Finished sauce, ready for the sandwiches!

Pre-heat the grill so it is nice and hot, or in my case, heat up a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Cook Notes: Baste one side of the salmon with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill, then baste and season the other side. Cook for 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the salmon is cooked almost all the way through, remove from the grill and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Salmon on the grill

To serve, cut the bun in half. Layer some of the greens on the bottom, while spreading a generous portion of the sauce on the top half of the bun. Place the fillet on top of the greens, and you are good to go!
 

Tasting Notes: This is a simple, yet elegant Salmon preparation. One essentially has a triumvirate of flavors: the bitterness of the greens, savoriness of the salmon, and the sweetness of the sauce; that compliments itself beautifully on one's palette. The salt and pepper really brings out the buttery flesh of the salmon, while the dill and scallions in the sauce adds some savory notes. Also, the white wine vinegar not only adds some zest to the sauce, but cuts the heaviness of the mayonnaise as well.

Libation Notes:  This dish is really meant for the summer time, so a nice cold lager would go very nice. Hofbräu München Original, Spaten Premium Lager, Löwenbräu Original, Weihenstephaner Original Bayrisch Mild, Augistiner Bräu Lagerbier Hell, and Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Helles are all good choices.

Finished product: Grilled Salmon Sandwiches. Yummi!

Overall: This was just the meal I needed. Quick, easy, and tons of flavor. I am going to keep this one on my short list for the warmer summer days ahead!