King Of The Sea Recipe

Prepare seafood

Pat the salmon fillets, scallops, and shrimp dry with paper towels. Score the salmon skin lightly in two places to prevent curling. Season both sides of the salmon lightly with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper (from the seasoning portion). Sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika on the flesh side. Sprinkle scallops and shrimp with a light pinch of salt and pepper.

Marinate seafood

In a bowl combine 2 tbs olive oil, 2 tbs lemon juice, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1/2 tsp honey. Whisk and pour half of this mixture over the salmon in a shallow dish, turning to coat. Add the scallops and shrimp to the remaining marinade, toss to coat, and let all rest refrigerated while you prepare vegetables (15–20 minutes).

Sear scallops and shrimp

Heat a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tbs olive oil. Pat scallops completely dry again, season if needed. Place scallops in the pan leaving space; sear 1.5–2 minutes undisturbed until a golden-brown crust forms, flip and cook 30–45 seconds. Remove to a warm plate. Add shrimp to the same pan, cook 1–1.5 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Remove and hold with scallops.

Cook salmon

Wipe the skillet clean, heat 1 tbs olive oil over medium-high. Place salmon skin-side down; press gently for 10 seconds to ensure contact. Cook skin-side down 4–5 minutes until skin is crisp and salmon is cooked about two-thirds of the way up the fillet. Flip and cook 1–2 minutes more until medium (internal temp ~50–54°C / 122–130°F) or to desired doneness. Baste with reserved marinade in the last 30 seconds. Remove and rest for 3 minutes.

Roast potatoes and asparagus

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss baby potatoes with 1 tbs olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and black pepper. Roast on a baking sheet cut-side down for 18 minutes. Add asparagus tossed with remaining 1 tbs olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper alongside the potatoes for the final 8–10 minutes so asparagus is tender-crisp. Remove from oven and keep warm.

Pan sauce with shallot and wine

Using the skillet you seared seafood in, reduce heat to medium and add the minced shallot. Cook 1 minute until softened. Deglaze pan with 60 ml dry white wine, scraping browned bits. Let reduce 2–3 minutes. Add 1 tbs butter and swirl to incorporate, then add the reserved herb butter (see next section) or finish with the melted herb butter spooned into the sauce. Taste and season with a pinch of sea salt flakes.

Make herb butter

In a small bowl combine 4 tbs unsalted butter (softened), 2 tbs finely chopped parsley, 1 tbs chopped chives, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp sea salt flakes. Mix until smooth and homogeneous. Reserve about half the herb butter to melt into the pan sauce; form the rest into a log on plastic wrap and chill for later or thinly slice to place atop the salmon when serving.

Finish and plate

Arrange a bed of roasted baby potatoes and asparagus on each plate. Place a salmon fillet on top of each bed. Fan three scallops and three shrimp alongside or atop the salmon. Spoon the white-wine pan sauce around the seafood and melt a slice (about 1 tbs) of the chilled herb butter over the warm salmon so it glosses the fish. Garnish with a light sprinkle of chopped parsley and a twist of lemon if desired.