Salmon Scampi + Parmesan Asparagus

Hey team quarantine! Hope you’re holding up ok and focusing on the positives. I know that the stress over finances and work and bills is glooming over all of our heads. Let’s face it. It sucks but I find the joy in knowing that humanity is and should be getting closer even if at a distance. We’re in this together and it’s time we act like it! So share this under $20 recipe that can feed about 3-5 depending on their appetites! Let’s dive right in shall we?

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lemon (cut into thin wheels)
• 1/2 bunch of Italian Parsley chopped down
• 1 tomato (gutted and diced)
• 1 box of angel hair pasta
• EVOO
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 bottle or 8oz of white wine, Chardonnay preferred.
• 3 sticks of unsalted butter
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• Powdered Parmesan
• Garlic butter croutons (any croutons, just a handful)
• Raw Salmon (1.5lb slab) to be cut into pieces.
• SPICES: lemon pepper, garlic powder, old bay, Italian seasoning, garlic pepper, garlic salt, paprika.

DIRECTIONS: (scampi, salmon, asparagus separated)

Scampi:

1. Bring water, 1 teaspoon of salt and EVOO to a boil in a large pan or medium/ large pot.
2. Add in your angel hair pasta and let boil for no more than 6 min. Al dente is fine because you’re going to continue cooking it later.
3. Remove pasta from the hot water. Rinse in a colindar under COLD water until all the pasta is chilled. Set aside.
4. In the same pot melt 2.5 of your 3 sticks of butter (set aside the other half for the salmon).
5. Add in your 8oz of white wine, 2 table spoon minced garlic and 3 of the chunkiest lemon wheels you cut. Bring to a low simmer simmer.
6. Add in your gutted and diced tomatoes. How to gut? Cut tomato in half. Spoon out the inside flesh leaving the sturdy exterior (should look like a little bowl). Put the open side faced down on a cutting board. With your palm, flatten the tomato and dice away. Cutting horizontally then vertically. You want pieces smaller than the face of a die. Add in chopped Italian parsley and your chilled noodles.
7. Reduce heat down to the most minimal heat and toss your ingredients adding in a table spoon of garlic pepper, old bay and Italian seasoning. Toss it up babe! Let it rest.

Salmon:

1. Cut your slab into equal pieces. With my slab I was able to cut 6. I left my skin on cuz I like it crispy but this part is totally up to you the steps not change.
2. In a bowl add your pieces, 1 table spoon of garlic power, lemon pepper and paprika with a few dashes of old bay. Mix.
3. In a heated sauté pan, melt your left over butter (half a stick) and let it melt by spreading it around the base and walls of the pan. Keep rotating the liquified butter to not let it burn and blacken.
4. Drop in your salmon skin side down. Leave that for 4-5 minutes using tongs to move them around gently so they don’t break. Once the skin has browned, flip over to the meat side up and let that sear for about 3-4 minutes. Flip over to skin side. CAREFULLY tilting the pan (any direction away from your body) spoon the butter at the bottom of the pan on top of the salmon pieces.
5. Add 3/4 cup of water and cover to steam and finish cooking the inside of your salmon. Your fish should be buttery soft and melt in your mouth if you use this method. Reduce heat and let it simmer.
6. Remove from heat keeping covered. Set aside.

Asparagus:

1. In a frying pan heat 2 table spoons EVOO to heat.
2. Drop In your trimmed asparagus and add 1 teaspoon of garlic pepper and continuously toss. I like my asparagus with a snap but soft on the inside and this is how I achieve that.
3. Once the asparagus start to turn a darker green color I CAREFULLY add 3/4 cup of water. You want to steam them out so they are soft so cover them. Steam them thangs! Once your water has almost evaporated (5-6 min) you should uncover and add a little more water to finish the process uncovered. Once the water is completely gone, turn off heat, sprinkle some powdered Parmesan and let that melt, then toss and you’re ready to serve!

*TIP: To keep your food warm I set my oven to the lowest temp and set the food inside. Just keep in mind the containers may be warm when removing but it won’t over cook your food.

This meal can be plated and garnished with crunched up croutons and more parsley, which I put on top of my scampi and salmon. Use your extra wheels for presentation or for extra lemon juice. Spoon some of the extra butter sauce from the scampi on top of you pasta once plated or on top of your salmon. And wha-La! You got a stay the funk at home dinner that will make your ass want to stay home okay?! Lol. Enjoy 😉