There’s something special about a dinner that feels effortless but still hits every note – crisp and fresh, rich and satisfying. This seared salmon with roasted potatoes, snap pea salad, and spicy mayo does exactly that.
a simple seared salmon dinner – the inspiration
If I’m ever at a loss for what to make during the week, I grab a piece of salmon and some potatoes, and I usually can find some random salad ingredients in my fridge to complete the meal.
Never exactly the same, I’ve made many variations of this dinner over the years (one version is on the site – it includes homemade paprika aioli as the dipping sauce and a fennel arugula salad on the side).
I wanted to do something similar to that, but make two tweaks. One: instead of going through the process of making homemade aioli, adding a few ingredients to store-bought mayo comes together much more easily. Two: giving a seasonal touch to the salad with vibrant green, crunchy snap peas.
The olive oil-roasted red potatoes get perfectly crisp in a hot oven. While they roast, the rest comes together – fresh snap peas and radishes sliced paper-thin, tossed with lime, avocado, dill, and just enough heat from a jalapeño.
The seared salmon is all about technique. Patting it dry and letting it come to room temperature helps it sear beautifully. A quick five minutes skin-side down in a hot pan gives you that golden, crispy texture, while a few more minutes on the other side finishes it off without drying it out.
The spicy mayo (with the addition of hot sauce, smoked paprika, and cayenne) adds a rich punch of heat to the starchy potatoes and buttery salmon in the best way possible!
PrintSeared Salmon with Roasted Potatoes & Snap Pea Salad
a simple seared salmon dinner with roasted red potatoes, a fresh snap pea salad, and spicy mayo on the side
servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 (6 oz) salmon filets
- 1 ½ lbs red potatoes, quartered
- ½ lb snap peas, thinly sliced on an diagonal
- 4 radishes, very thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded + finely chopped
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 avocado, pitted + diced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- olive oil
- neutral oil (such as safflower or grapeseed)
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the salmon dry and let sit at room temperature.
- Place the potatoes onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes into one, even layer, cut-side down. Season well with salt. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
- Meanwhile, combine the snap peas, radishes, green onions, jalapeño, lime juice, avocado, and fresh dill in a mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Season with salt to taste and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, hot sauce, smoked paprika, cayenne, and a ¼ teaspoon of salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- When the potatoes have about 10 minutes left in the oven, heat a 12” stainless steel pan over medium heat. Add enough neutral oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Season the salmon with salt and black pepper.
- Once the oil is hot (it will shimmer), carefully place the salmon skin-side down into the oil. Sear for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and easily releases from the pan. Flip the salmon over and finish cooking on the other side, about 3-4 minutes longer, or until cooked to your desired doneness.
- Plate the salmon with the potatoes, snap pea salad, and spicy mayo alongside.
