Walnut-crusted wild salmon with edamame mash
You’ll want to choose a wild variety of salmon, for both health reasons and sustainability—farming salmon requires a larger amount of wild fish to feed the farmed ones, making the process unsustainable. You can find wild salmon at a fish market, a natural foods market, or a well-stocked grocery store. If salmon isn’t your thing, you could use another fish, varying the cooking time if you are using a thinner fillet or a less fatty variety of fish.
- 3½ cups frozen shelled edamame
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, as needed (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup whole wheat or rice flour
- 1 cup walnuts, very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or grapeseed oil
- 4 (4-ounce) wild salmon fillets, skin removed
Instructions:
The edamame mash has a nice toasty flavor from the sesame oil that complements the nuts crusting the fish. And about that crust , it has a humble crunch that nicely offsets the tender fish inside and the smooth bed of mash it sits on. This could pass as dinner for company that won’t take you all day to prepare.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Steam or boil the edamame beans until softened, about 8 minutes. Drain the beans and transfer to a food processor or blender. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, the rice vinegar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
- Pulse the beans until fairly smooth but still slightly chunky, adding a little sesame oil or water as necessary to loosen it. Transfer to a bowl, add the chives and mint, and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the ground ginger or red pepper flakes if you want a kick.
- Combine the egg white and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl and whisk. Put the egg white mixture in a shallow bowl and the flour in a second shallow bowl.
- In a third shallow bowl, stir together the walnuts, a pinch of salt, and the basil. Heat the coconut oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium heat.
- Working with one piece of salmon at a time, dip one side of the fillet in the flour, then the egg white, then the walnuts, which should be chopped finely enough to adhere. Repeat with the remaining fillets. Place the fillets, crust side down, gently in the pan and sear for about 3 minutes, then flip and sear the other side, about 2 minutes more.
- Put the pan in the oven and cook until the salmon reaches the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes.
- On each plate, put a generous dollop of the edamame mash and place the warm salmon on top. Garnish with chives and serve.