Recipe: Sear-Roasted Salmon Fillets with Lemon-Ginger Butter

Serves 4

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 ¾ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons snipped fresh chives

About ½ teaspoon salt, divided

About ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided

4 pieces salmon fillet (5 ounces each)

2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put the butter into a bowl and mash with a fork. Work in lemon juice, ginger, chives and about ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Mix until well blended and set aside.

2. Check for bones by running your fingers over the tops of the pieces of salmon. Remove bones with fish tweezers or by grabbing and pulling with a small piece of paper towel to prevent slippage.

3. Heat a 10- to 12-inch heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 teaspoons olive oil, swirling to cover bottom of pan. Add salmon, skin side up, and cook until nicely browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip fish over, sprinkle with salt and pepper and immediately put into oven. Roast about 5 to 8 minutes or until done in the thickest part of the salmon.

4. Transfer the salmon to serving plates and top with a dab of lemon-ginger butter. Serve remaining on the side.

Data per serving:

Calories 358

Protein 28.35g

Fat 26.28g

Carbohydrates 0.52g

Sodium 376mg

Saturated fat 8.86g

Monounsaturated fat 9.38g

Polyunsaturated fat 6.12g

Cholesterol 106.48mg

From "The 150 Best American Recipes" by Fran McCullough & Molly Stevens