Black Sesame Wild Salmon with Spanakorizo

This lovely light and delicious Greek-Inspired Black Sesame Wild Salmon with Spanakorizo is perfect for the hot days of summer. The star of this dish are beautiful black and white sesame seeds that are usually added as a garnish. Rich in protein, unsaturated fats, and other nutrients, sesame seeds are known as the “queen of oil seeds.” Tossed with a little Greek feta and sautéed in a non stick frying pan, the lovely pink Wild Salmon is served with health and delicious Spanakorizo, a traditional Greek version of spinach rice with lemon and dill. Perfect as a side dish with grilled chicken, lamb or any kind of fish or seafood, the recipe is 'apolýtos nóstimo'! 

Black Sesame Wild Salmon with Spanakorizo & Grilled Asparagus

Serves 4

4 Wild Organic Irish or Pacific Salmon filets, about 6 oz each

2 tbsp black and white sesame seeds

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp crumbled Greek feta

2 lemons sliced in half

12 spears asparagus, trimmed 

Spanakorizo:

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp garlic, minced

Zest from one lemon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 lb baby spinach

1 cup basmati, brown or white rice

2 cups vegetable broth

4 tbsp fresh dill, chopped and divided

1/2 tsp salt

A few grinds freshly ground black pepper

Juice from one lemon

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the lemon zest, cumin and spinach and cover the pan. Cook until the spinach wilts down, about 3-5 minutes. Stir the rice, vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of the dill, salt and pepper into the spinach mixture and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer, replacing the lid on the pan, and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes or according to the rice’s suggested cooking time. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining fresh dill, before serving.

Preheat an outdoor girl to medium. Toss the asparagus with a little vegetable oil and season with salt to taste. Place the lemon halves and asparagus on the grill on medium. While the rice is cooking, season the salmon with salt and pepper. Rub both sides with a little sesame oil and coat the fillets with sesame seeds and feta cheese. Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Place the salmon fillets in the skillet and cook without moving them until the bottoms are browned and the bottom half of the fillets are opaque, about 5 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook, without moving them, until the flesh is opaque and firm to the touch, about 5 minutes. 

Once done, remove the salmon from the heat and place the grilled asparagus and lemons on a small plate. To serve, spoon some Spanakorizo in the middle of 4 warmed dinner plates and place 3 spears of asparagus over the rice topped with some salmon and finished with gilled lemon.