Grilled King Salmon with Bacon, Fava Beans, and Nettle Pesto
  • Complexity: Advanced
  • Srv: 4
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • By: Matt’s in the Market

Be sure to wear gloves when handling the nettles prior to cooking; their sting is eliminated after cooking.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound nettles
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 6 anchovy fillets
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound fava beans in the pod, shucked
  • 4 pieces king salmon fillet (about 5 oz. each), skin on, scales removed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 6 ounces slab bacon, finely diced
  • 1 bunch ramps (or spring onions), root trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 8 ounces morel mushrooms, stemmed and halved lengthwise
  • 1 pound English peas in the pod, shucked
  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut on the bias
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup fish stock or chicken stock

Directions

  1. Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. While the water heats, wearing gloves, pluck the nettle leaves from the stems, discarding the stems. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the nettles to the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Lift the nettles out with a slotted spoon or strainer and add them to the ice water; reserve the water in the pan and set it aside.
  2. When the nettles are fully cooled, lift them from the ice water (reserving the water) and squeeze out excess water, then coarsely chop them. Put the nettles in a blender with the garlic cloves, lemon zest, anchovies, capers, and chile flakes, then add 1 cup of the sunflower oil and the olive oil. Purée to make a smooth paste, scoop the pesto into a bowl, and set aside.
  3. Return the pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fava beans and cook for 10 seconds. Lift the fava beans out with a slotted spoon or strainer and add them to the ice water. When the beans are fully cooled, peel away and discard the outer skin.
  4. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high and gently rub the remaining 2 tablespoons of the sunflower oil over the salmon portions and season with salt.
  5. While the grill is heating, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ramps and morels and cook for 1 minute longer, then add the white wine. After 30 seconds add the peas, fava beans, asparagus, and fish stock and cook for 2 minutes longer.
  6. When the grill is hot, add the salmon flesh side down and cook until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the salmon and continue cooking about 2 minutes longer for medium rare, or longer for more well done fish.
  7. Taste the vegetables for seasoning, adding salt if needed. Spoon the vegetables onto 4 plates or large shallow bowls. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the nettle pesto onto one side of the plates, and set the salmon on the vegetables. Add a drizzle of olive oil, if you like.

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