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Crispy salmon with thyme butter and roasted fennel salad styled by Tara Duggan in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, July 1, 2015.
Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

Crispy Salmon With Thyme Butter & Roasted Fennel Salad

Serves 2 to 4

This recipe is adapted from hook-and-line fisherman Kevin Butler of Real Good Fish, a former restaurant chef who creates recipes for members of its community-supported fishery. Roasted fennel and salad greens form a base for pan-seared salmon, which you cook longer on the skin side to make sure it crisps up. Drizzle the thyme butter sauce on the greens, not the salmon, to keep the skin crisp.

1 fennel bulb

2 tablespoons olive oil + more for the salmon

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 pound salmon fillet, skin on and pinbones removed

1 cup white wine

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced

3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped (1 heaping tablespoon chopped)

3 cups mixed salad greens

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Trim the tops off the fennel (save the fronds for a garnish) then quarter, core and thinly slice the bulb. Place on a baking sheet. Cover with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with kosher salt and stir. Bake until lightly caramelized, 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Season the salmon well with salt and pepper.

Place a cast-iron pan or other heavy frying pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes until very hot.

Liberally oil the fish on both sides; carefully add the fish to the pan, skin-side down, and cook until three-quarters done, the color has changed and the skin is browned and crisp, 6-8 minutes. Flip to cook on the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan.

Add the white wine to the pan, and bring to a boil; cook about 5 minutes, until reduced by half. Remove from the heat; stir in the thyme and butter until the butter is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the salad greens and fennel together with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place on a serving plate, drizzle with the herb butter, and top with the fish, skin-side up. Garnish with a few fennel fronds and serve right away.

Per serving: 430 calories, 24 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 30 g fat (11 g saturated), 106 mg cholesterol, 91 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.


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