This is my new favorite preparation for salmon fillets. It takes just minutes to prepare and has such a beautiful flavor! A great recipe for one, served directly from the skillet.
Recipe
1 salmon fillet, skin on
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/4 tsp za’atar (see below)
1/2 tsp. sumac
2 T. olive oil
3 c. baby spinach
4 T. tahini
2-1/2 T. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Za’atar Spice
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. sumac
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes
Heat the oven to 465-degrees. Pat the fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the za’atar and sumac, then sprinkle all over the top of the salmon to create a crust.
Put a 7” ovenproof frying pan on a medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add the spinach and a small pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook until just wilted – about 90 seconds to two minutes. Lay the salmon skin side down on top of the spinach, drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the flesh side and transfer the pan to the oven for five minutes.
While the fish is cooking, whisk the tahini with a 2 T. of lemon juice, the garlic, a good pinch of salt and 1/4 c. of water in a small bowl, until smooth and quite runny. Add a touch more water if too thick. When the fish’s time is up, remove it from the oven, pour the tahini mixture all around (but not over) the salmon, and return the pan to the oven for another five minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the tahini is bubbling. Spoon over the remaining half-tablespoon of lemon juice and serve straight from the pan.
— Yotam Ottolenghi, “Recipes for One” in The Guardian