Healthy pan seared salmon is lightly seasoned, then topped with a tangy vinaigrette of aged balsamic vinegar, basil leaves, molasses and bacon.
Some of you may not know this, but in addition to a full-time job and running this blog I also moonlight as a freelance writer. I started doing freelance writing a little over three years ago. Those of you that were reading the blog back in 2010 know that The Husband and I went through some hard times financially and basically I started putting myself out there as a way to earn money. Funny how God uses tough situations to open new doors. Had we not been faced with two job losses and a baby on the way, I may have never taken that leap of faith.
So what began as an act of desperation has actually turned into an extremely gratifying part-time career. I don’t just write about food. So far my two most memorable pieces have been about a father and daughter that both survived breast cancer and the congenital heart program at the local children’s hospital.
But . . .seeing as how I am a food blogger, I have written a lot of articles about food. And occasionally I get to do really cool stuff. Like take a day of vacation from my full-time job to go hang out in Natchez with chef and cookbook author Regina Charboneau at her absolutely gorgeous antebellum home – Twin Oaks.
I don’t want to kill the story before it’s even published, so I won’t go into too much detail. If you live in the Jackson area, you’ll just have to pick up the June issue of Portico.
If you don’t live anywhere near the South, you may not know the significance of Natchez. The city itself is almost 300 years old and situated on the Mississippi River. Pre-civil war it became the home of several wealthy plantation owners who built big, beautiful antebellum homes. Because Natchez remained pretty much undamaged throughout the Civil War, many of those homes are still standing. It’s literally like taking a step back in time.
After cooking, photography is my second favorite hobby and Natchez is a prime location for snapping some amazing photos. After dropping Little Tot off at daycare, I made the two hour trip from Jackson, arriving in Natchez shortly before lunchtime. This unique little lunch spot is where I stopped in for a ham sandwich and a mason jar of cold blueberry lemonade.
After wards, I parked my car and walked up and down the streets of downtown Natchez looking for interesting photo ops. I love the colors in this old abandoned theatre.
I arrived at Regina’s house shortly before a group from the American Queen riverboat was scheduled to make a visit. Regina had quite an impressive and delicious spread laid out for her guests.
Later that afternoon, I was lucky enough to snag a signed copy of her cookbook. This was one of the first recipes The Husband picked out to try. It’s a simple recipe that comes together really quickly, but has a lot of complex flavors . I served our salmon over creamy corn grits.
Pan Seared Salmon with Bacon-Molasses Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced shallot
- 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh basil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the salmon:
- 4 6-7 ounces each salmon filets
- 1 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 slices bacon coarsely chopped
Instructions
For the vinaigrette:
- Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
For the salmon:
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pan and reserve bacon grease. Once bacon is cool, combine with vinaigrette ingredients.
- Season salmon filets with salt and pepper. Place filets skin side up in pan. Sear filets for about three minutes per side, or until salmon is seared and filet reaches desired doneness.
- Drizzle vinaigrette over salmon. Garnish with cooked bacon.
What a great experience! You need some ME time to keep you grounded and sane 🙂 I didn’t realise were neighbors, I’m in Hattiesburg. Love your website!!
What a small world! I lived in Hattiesburg for four years before moving to Jackson – it’s a GREAT town! Hope you didn’t sustain too much damage from the tornado a few months ago.
Fabulous!!! Do you have the recipe for the cream corn grits? What type of risotto would you recommend pairing that with?
Marlene, I used this recipe for the grits: https://cookingbride.com/main-courses/shrimp-and-grits/
A simple risotto would work really well with this. I would just season it with a little Parmesan cheese. The vinaigrette has a lot of flavor, so you wouldn’t want to the two competing.
Thanks so much. 🙂 Risotto is my most favorite dish in the world to make, so I look for any excuse to experience those sounds and smells! I’ve never done grits, so I think I will try that. (ps: your bang bang shrimp recipe is a HUGE favorite at my house…. Sriracha is a food group for me, love the sauce and use it on many other things that need a dip)
You left the bacon out of the recipe ingrediant list under “For the vinaigrette:”
It’s actually listed under the ingredients for the salmon. But your comment made me realize that I forgot to include a step that instructs you to actually add the cooked bacon to the vinaigrette. That’s what I get for typing up the recipe when I’m tired! I have corrected the recipe.
This dish was great! We had green beans with blanched and slivered almonds with it I wouldn’t change anything and the family agreed!
Thank you, Karl! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.