Salt and Pepper Salmon and Dill Creme Fraiche with Smashed New Potatoes with Peas, Lemon, and Pearl Onions

Salt and Pepper Salmon

1 salmon fillet (about 2 pounds), skin on, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions
Run your finger up and down the center of the salmon feeling for any pin bones. Remove any that you find with a needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. With a sharp knife cutting across the width of the salmon, divide it into 4 equal portions. Lightly salt the salmon and let sit a couple minutes; this will help you get crispy skin.

Heat a 2-count, about 2 tablespoons, of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is almost smoking. Season the salmon with pepper, and rub about 1 1/2 tablespoons butter on the skin side of each fillet. Add the salmon to the pan, skin-side down. To get super crispy skin, cook the salmon almost to completion, about 6 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook until flesh side is nicely seared, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the salmon to a platter and top with a dollop of dill creme fraiche. Serve with the Smashed Potatoes.

Dill Creme Fraiche

1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 bunch fresh dill, coarsely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon roughly chopped capers
4 cornichons, finely chopped

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined.

Smashed New Potatoes with Peas, Lemon, and Pearl Onions

1 1/2 to 2 pounds red bliss potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (10-ounce) box frozen pearl onions, defrosted
Pinch sugar
Splash freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 slices lemon
2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen peas, defrosted
1 lemon, zested
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 heaping tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed just above the rubber band

Directions

Put the potatoes into a large pot, cover them with cold water, and add a large pinch of salt. If they're large, cut them in half. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain. Stick a fork into the potatoes, 1 at a time, lift them out of the colander and peel with a paring knife. Toss the potatoes into a bowl and roughly crush them. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil with the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the pearl onions, sugar, and lemon juice and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the lemon slices, peas, and lemon zest and continue cooking until the peas are hot. Season with salt and pepper. Dump the vegetables over the potatoes in the bowl, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil add the parsley and dill and taste for salt and pepper. Scatter the watercress over the top, fold it in just until it wilts and call it a day.

My thoughts: To quote my husband, "This is the best dish you have EVER made!" This was the first time I made this recipe and based on his reaction, I would say it was a success. The recipe is from Tyler Florence's Ultimate. I didn't follow the recipe exactly. When cooking the salmon, I melted the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds and used a brush to generously spread evenly on the salmon skin. I substituted sour cream for creme fraiche. Although the recipe calls for 1/2 cup, I used an 8oz. container of sour cream cause I didn't want to waste anything and just added more dill and a drained 3 fl. oz. jar of capers. I couldn't find cornichons so I didn't use them. I plan on using the extra creme fraiche as a dip for pita slices. When I picked up all the ingredients for the potatoes at the grocery, I thought 2 lbs. weren't enough so I used a 3 lb. bag of red potatoes instead. Peeling the potatoes was a pain, literally. I thought I was going to burn my fingers off.

In the end, the salmon was just the right amount of crispy. The dill "creme fraiche" pulled everything together and was delicious. The potatoes were light and lemony and a definite step up from my usual go to betty crocker instant mashed potatoes. Hahaha.

The recipe was pretty easy. So easy I could probably make it on a week night too especially since the creme fraiche can be made ahead of time.

Noah loved cooking with Mommy and Daddy today . . .