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Recipe #6: Sautéed Sockeye Salmon 

This is a perfect dish for any night when time might be at a premium or perhaps you just want a very tasty, and very healthful main course. Fresh salmon of this variety may not always be available.  If it is, I always buy it because I think it has some of the best flavor of all salmon.  Generally it does not have the strong flavor (caused by the high amount of Omega 3 oils) associated with salmon. On this occasion, I saw a one-pound package of frozen sockeye at a Target store for $8.99 and I decided to give it a try.  It was a very good find indeed!

shopping list:

• 1 8-oz portion fish per person (at $8.99/pound, that's ~ $4.50 per person)
• 1 Box Green Giant Healthy Vision vegetables (Also purchased at Target -- I spent $1.39 for the 7-oz pkg, enough for two decent portions or ~ $0.70 per person)
• 1 Package Zataran's  Yellow Rice (I already had a pkg, but it is ~ $1.59 and easily will serve 3-4 people; it worked out to ~ $0.80 per person for Lauren and me)
• 1/2 package Knorr white sauce mix (counting butter, probably less than $0.50 per person. (alternately, you could make your own; its is very easy.  Here is a link to a recipe; the variations are endless))
• Lauren also whipped up a small salad with homemade garlic dressing - couldn't have cost more than ~ $0.75 per person.

Approximate total cost of the meal (including optional items): ~ $7.25 per person

It's a simple meal to prepare, it looks very good on the plate -- even without a garnish (I was out of parsley) -- and if you ordered it in a restaurant and were to receive an 8-oz portion, it would likely fall into the $20-25 per person range.  The prep takes little effort and even less time; waiting for the rice however, allows for some crucial "together" time and relaxing conversation.

Prepare the rice according to the recipe on the package; it will take about 25 minutes to cook.  Meanwhile, prepare the sauce according to the package directions; keep it warm.  I am definitely not a big fan of microwave cooking, but if the dinner is going to be a "quick and painless" variety, simply heat the veggies in the microwave, according to directions.

I skinned the salmon (R. Karl at On the lake will show you how to do that) and then drizzled the fillets with a bit of soy sauce, some vermouth and a sprinkle of dried onion.  Pre-heat oven to about 375 - 400 degrees.  Heat a non-stick pan to very hot, and then add a small amount of sesame oil and about a tablespoon of butter.  Immediately place the salmon -- skin-side up -- fillets in the pan and sauté on med-high heat for about three (3) minutes.  Turn fillets, splash a bit more vermouth over the fillets, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over them, and then place pan in the oven for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Most people make the mistake of over-cooking fish.  (Salmon is easily ruined and gets very dry and unpalatable if overcooked!)  Remove salmon from pan, place on heated plate with a generous portion of rice, some veggies and another lemon wedge.  Serve immediately and enjoy the rich flavor.  For the very tightest budgets, these fillets would still yield a nice portion size, even cut in half.  Just increase the rice portion.  As always, be sure to look for bargains on sauces, rice additions and sales on fish at the local market, along with coupons from your newspapers to reduce costs further.  Bon Appetite!

 
Ralph Pancetta
reviews@ralphpancetta.com