Salmon, Chilled Asparagus Cream and Warm Olive Relish

This is so good and actually not very hard to make. I make the olive relish ahead of time and let it set a couple of hours up to all day to blend all the flavors, also the asparagus cream as well to save time, so when it comes to dinner ... a quick roast for the salmon, and maybe some roasted grilled potatoes in a pesto sauce and grape tomatoes make this a quick dinner for family, friends or company. Note ... My pesto potatoes are nothing more than quartered red potatoes tossed with a couple of spoons of pesto (store bought) and my tomatoes which are simply tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and both are roasted right along side the salmon. A one pan wonder meal.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 Individual Servings

Ingredients

• Salmon

• 24  ounces salmon fillets (1 per person)
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  lemon, cut in slices
•  salt
•  pepper

• Olive Relish

• 1⁄4 cup green olives, chopped fine
• 1⁄4 cup kalamata olive, chopped fine (black olives are fine for this, 1 - 4oz can of pre-chopped is just about 1/4 cup which works great)
• 1⁄4 cup celery, chopped fine
• 1⁄4 cup shallot, chopped fine
• 1  teaspoon capers
• 1  tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 1  teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
•  salt (go light, olives and capers are salty)
•  pepper

• Asparagus Cream

• 1  lb asparagus, steamed until soft (I like 1 lb for 4 people, more or less depending on the serving size you want)
• 2  scallions, rough chopped
• 8  ounces sour cream (no NO fat, low fat will work ok)
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon  prepared  horseradish sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1  teaspoon fresh dill
•  salt
•  pepper

Directions

1. Asparagus Cream -- Make Ahead! I steamed my asparagus right in the microwave in a small microwavable bowl with just a little water and covered saran wrap. About 4 minutes until soft. I used most of the top 1/2 of the asparagus avoiding the bottom tough part. Remove once it is tender and let cool.
2. Once cool, add the asparagus, sour cream, scallions, milk, horseradish sauce, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a small food processor and puree until you have a smooth creamy sauce. Remove to a small bowl, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until later. You want to serve this chilled.
3. Olive Relish -- Make Ahead! Mix the olives, shallot, celery, capers, parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and set to the side. This will be reheated to serve warm with the salmon.
4. Salmon -- Before cooking the salmon, you will want to bring it to room temperature on the counter. Now, I love to bake mine in the oven for this dish as I make my side dishes (roasted pesto new potatoes and grape tomatoes at the same time). You can also pan sear or grill - either inside or out if you want.
5. Place on either parchment paper or foil on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and then top each salmon with 2 lemon slices. Bake in a oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until lightly flaky. You want it firm to the touch but you don't want to over cook it. Completely tender, pink and flaky all the way through. If you have very thin ends, just tuck them under before you cook them - that way they don't get overdone as the thicker parts cook. Remove and cover for a few minutes while you finish up the rest of your meal.
6. Relish -- I just heat the relish in the microwave. Thirty (30) seconds on medium heat and then another 30 until warm. Doesn't need to be hot - just warm.
7. Serving -- Serve the salmon (you can remove the lemon slices off to the side) with a spoon of the asparagus cream and then topped with the warm olive relish.
8. I love the pesto potatoes and grape tomatoes on the side, but make whatever sides you like best. ENJOY!