Cathal Armstrong loves salmon, especially because he grew up eating it on special occasions. He likes to pan-fry the fish fillets, then top them with an intense citrus vinaigrette made from a combination of fresh orange, lemon and lime juices.
Ingredients
2 pounds asparagus, stalks peeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons snipped chives
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
eight 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
Directions
In a large skillet of boiling salted water, cook the asparagus stalks until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pat the asparagus dry and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus and toss gently to coat.
In a small saucepan, combine the orange, lemon and lime juices and simmer over moderate heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in the shallot, chives and the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
In each of 2 large skillets, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil until shimmering. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and add 4 to each skillet. Cook over moderately high heat until browned and just cooked, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the salmon to plates and spoon some of the citrus vinaigrette on top. Serve the salmon with the asparagus, passing the extra vinaigrette at the table.