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Pan-Seared Salmon Caesar Salad

Crisp romaine, a sharp homemade Caesar dressing, Parmesan, and a beautifully seared salmon fillet.

This is Caesar salad turned into dinner. The salmon gets a hard sear in a hot pan until the outside develops a deep, flavorful crust while the center stays tender. Serve it right over cold, crisp Caesar salad with plenty of Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon.

Serves 4 Prep 15 minutes Cook 10 minutes Total 25 minutes
Golden pan-seared salmon fillet over Caesar salad on a gray plate with a lemon wedge
Warm, crusted salmon over cold, crisp Caesar salad

From my galley

A Caesar Salad That Eats Like Dinner

This one goes back a while. I wanted Caesar salad, but I also wanted something substantial enough to call dinner. A piece of salmon and a hot frying pan solved that problem.

There isn't anything complicated about it. Cold, crisp romaine, a salty and lemony Caesar dressing, plenty of Parmesan, and salmon with a good crust straight from the pan. The contrast between the warm fish and cold salad is what makes it work.

It's also exactly the kind of food I like making in our little galley kitchen. No elaborate equipment, no professional technique required. Just a hot pan, good ingredients, and a few things I've learned through trial and error.

Preparation

Dressing, Sear, Assemble

Make the dressing

  1. Finely mince 1 drained 2-oz can anchovy fillets and 1 small garlic clove together until they form a paste.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together all of the anchovy-garlic paste, 1 large egg yolk, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil while whisking constantly until the dressing thickens and emulsifies.
  3. Stir in 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan and several grinds of black pepper. Taste before adding salt. Between the anchovies and Parmesan, it may not need any.
  4. If the dressing is thicker than you like, whisk in a teaspoon or two of cold water.

Cook the salmon

  1. Pat all 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each) very dry with paper towels. Season the 4 fillets evenly with a total of 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika.
  2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, place the salmon in the pan. If you're using skin-on salmon, start skin-side down.
  3. Cook without moving it for about 4 to 5 minutes, allowing a deep golden crust to develop.
  4. Flip and cook another 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets and your preferred doneness. Finish with a squeeze from the 1 lemon cut into wedges, reserving the remaining wedges for serving.
  5. Transfer the salmon to a plate and let it rest for a few minutes while you assemble the salad.

Assemble

  1. Place the chopped leaves from 2 large romaine hearts in a large bowl and add enough Caesar dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Toss thoroughly.
  2. Add 1/2 cup grated or shaved Parmesan and 1 cup croutons and toss once more.
  3. Divide the Caesar salad among four wide bowls or plates. Place a warm salmon fillet directly over each salad. Finish with additional Parmesan and cracked black pepper to taste, and a wedge from the reserved lemon.

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