Lacquered Salmon Caesar Recipe

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) if you prefer to warm the smoked salmon; otherwise you can serve it slightly chilled. Line a small baking sheet with foil or parchment.

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper until smooth.

Place the hot-smoked salmon on the prepared sheet, skin side down if skin is present. Brush the honey glaze evenly over the top and sides of the fillet, reserving about 1 teaspoon of glaze for finishing.

Warm the glazed salmon in the oven for 6–8 minutes just until heated through and the glaze is tacky. Do not overcook—hot-smoked salmon is already cooked and only needs warming. If serving chilled, skip warming and brush glaze just before plating.

Remove salmon from oven and let rest 2 minutes. Use a spatula to flake into large bite-sized pieces. Drizzle the reserved glaze over the flaked salmon and finish with flaky sea salt to taste.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) (can be done at same time as salmon). Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer.

In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter with the olive oil over low heat. Stir in the minced garlic, salt and pepper and cook 30 seconds off the heat to bloom the garlic—don’t brown it.

Pour the garlic butter over the bread cubes and toss thoroughly to coat. Spread the coated cubes back on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake 10–12 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley if using. Let cool to crisp up further.

In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, anchovy paste, grated garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and white wine vinegar until smooth.

Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Stir in grated Parmesan, then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Taste and adjust lemon, salt or anchovy as desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Place the torn romaine in a large salad bowl. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the Caesar vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing as needed to lightly dress the leaves (reserve some dressing for guests who want extra).

Toss in about half of the shaved Parmesan and most of the garlic butter croutons, reserving a few for garnish.

Arrange the flaked honey lacquered hot-smoked salmon on top of the dressed romaine.

Finish with the remaining shaved Parmesan, the reserved croutons, a light squeeze of lemon over the salmon, and a final grind of black pepper.

Serve immediately so croutons remain crisp. Provide extra dressing and lemon wedges at the table.