King Salmon Recipe

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Prick the eggplants several times with a fork. Place whole eggplants on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 35–45 minutes, turning once, until the skin is charred and the flesh is very soft. Alternatively, roast over a gas flame or smoker to add additional smoke.

When cool enough to handle, split the eggplants and scoop the flesh into a colander. Let drain 10 minutes and gently press to remove excess liquid (prevents a watery purée).

In a blender or food processor, combine drained eggplant flesh, peeled garlic cloves (roasted if desired with eggplant for milder flavor), tahini, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, smoked salt, and ground cumin. Purée until smooth, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time to reach a spreadable, silky consistency (about 2–3 tbs). Taste and adjust salt, lemon, or tahini.

Transfer purée to a bowl, cover, and keep warm or at room temperature until plating.

Place thinly sliced red onion in a bowl. In a small saucepan, combine rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and water and bring to a simmer just until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and pour immediately over the sliced onions.

Toss onions in the pickling liquid, add lemon zest, and let sit at least 15–20 minutes. For best flavor, refrigerate 1 hour. Drain slightly before plating, reserving a little pickling liquid to moisten if needed.

Zest the lemon and then juice it; reserve separately.

In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly golden and fragrant (about 1–2 minutes). Add the brown sugar and continue to cook 1 minute to caramelize lightly—watch closely to avoid burning.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping any browned bits, and reduce by half (about 1–2 minutes). Add the lemon juice and zest, lower heat, then whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small pieces to create an emulsified sauce.

Stir in the heavy cream and continue to whisk to incorporate; heat gently until slightly thickened (1–2 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm but do not boil. The finished emulsion should be glossy and pourable.

Remove salmon from the refrigerator 15–20 minutes before cooking to come toward room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels.

Season both sides of each salmon portion with kosher salt, black pepper, and a light dusting of smoked paprika if using. Brush skin with olive oil.

Heat a large nonstick or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and place salmon skin-side down. Press gently with a spatula for the first 20 seconds to ensure full skin contact.

Cook skin-side down until the skin is crispy and the flesh is mostly opaque about two-thirds of the way up (about 4–5 minutes depending on thickness). Flip carefully and cook the flesh-side 1–2 minutes more for medium-rare to medium (internal temperature ~120–125°F/49–52°C for medium-rare, 125–130°F/52–54°C for medium). Remove from pan and tent loosely with foil—carryover will raise temperature slightly.

Rest salmon 3–4 minutes before plating.

On each plate, swipe 2–3 tablespoons of the smoked eggplant purée in a streak using the back of a spoon to create a base.

Place a salmon portion on top of the purée, slightly off-center. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of the caramelized lemon garlic emulsion over the top of the salmon and around the plate.

Scatter a small handful (about 2 tablespoons) of the sweet & sour onions next to or atop the salmon for brightness and crunch.

Garnish with microgreens or baby herbs, a light drizzle (about 1/4 tsp) of extra virgin olive oil, and a lemon wedge at the side. If desired, finish with a tiny sprinkle of smoked sea salt for contrast.

Serve immediately.