Crispy skin salmon & simple salad

So I got a personal trainer... and he approves of this message.

I met with a personal trainer on Thursday and he began assessing my condition through isometric exercises, sled pulls/pushes, the ski machine, the assault bike, etc. It's pretty standard stuff that I got through easily enough, or so I thought. He said he found some “holes" in my conditioning (RUDE lol). He then asked about my sleep quality and diet— luckily, there were fewer holes here. I was proud to tell him about this meal I make on repeat— this very recipe that's just landed in your inbox. He had no notes, so I felt great about this little win. I decided to leave on a high and not tell him about the Red Bull/vodkas and chicken tendies I had in Vegas last weekend.

CRISPY SKIN SALMON & SIMPLE SALAD (SERVES 1)

• 1/2 LB salmon fillet (boneless, skin on)

• 4 generous pinches of kosher salt

• 1 TBSP olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, peeled but leave it whole

• 1/2 meyer lemon

• Salad mix… Could be whatever you want!¹

• Drizzle of roasted sesame oil

• Pinch of Maldon salt

Generously salt the salmon on all sides with kosher salt and place on a wire rack. Let this dry in the fridge uncovered for at least 2 hrs, up to 24 hrs.²

When you’re ready to cook, pull out the salmon and let it hang out at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Heat the olive oil and whole garlic clove in a non-stick pan on high heat for about 1 minute.

Turn down the heat to medium and place the salmon skin-side down. Cook for about 6-7 minutes.³

Remove the garlic clove and discard once it’s reached a nice golden brown on all sides (about 3 minutes).⁴

After 6-7 minutes, use a spoon to baste the salmon with the garlic-infused oil until you get a light pink color all over, about 1-2 minutes.⁵

Pull the salmon and place it skin side down on a paper towel. Finish with fresh lemon juice on the flesh side.

In a small bowl, dress your salad mix with a drizzle of sesame oil, lemon juice and a pinch of Maldon salt.

Plate the salad and place the fish on top, skin side up.

SERVE ALONGSIDE

• Sweet potato cauliflower mash

• Chimichurri coming to you next Sunday!

1. I used a mix of arugula, spinach and basil.

2. Your patience will be rewarded, but don’t worry - it’ll still be good if dried for only 2 hrs.

3. You’ll cook the salmon skin-side down the entire time. That’s how you get the crispy skin.

4. Keep an eye on the garlic because once it’s burned, it’ll ruin the flavor of the oil.

5. Basically, you’re cooking the other side of the fish with the hot oil.