Salmon BLT
August 20, 2019 by Nicole Collins
There is nothing like a good sandwich.
And boy, are we making a GOOOOOD sandwich today!
I used to survive off of sandwiches alone. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner...I was eating a sandwich. From your basic grilled cheese to a loaded double decker, sandwiches had always been my number one go to. But, when I started my healthy living journey, sandwiches were one of the first things to go.
With the 21 Day Fix plan, 1 slice of bread equals one of your carbs for the day. And when you only get 4 carbs for a whole day (and only 2 by the time I reached my last few rounds of the plan), you really have to choose your carbs wisely. So sadly, sandwiches had to get the axe.
Little by little, I've recently been incorporating sandwiches back into my eating routine. Since I've learned plenty of tips and tricks to eliminate the carby aspects from a lot of my meals, I find myself with extra carb counts to play with for the day.
And guess what that means?
The return of SANDWICHES!
Today, we're taking one of my favorite sandwiches, the humble BLT; and we're turning it up a notch to a classy, gourmet lunch!
Today, we're making Salmon BLTs!
Let's start with the salmon. Generally, my preferred way to cook salmon is roasting it in the oven. It's quick, easy, and takes basically no effort. But for this sandwich, we want a nice and crispy exterior on our soft and creamy fish. So, we're going to pan fry our fish today.
For our salmon, I recommend buying one big filet and cutting it down yourself. This allows us to cut the fish into the portion sizes that we want, so we can make them the perfect size to fit on our bun. And we don't need the skin, so if you can buy it with the skin off, that's great! If not, it's easy to remove.
The salmon gets seasoned with just salt and pepper on both sides of the fish, then pan roasted in a skillet of perfectly hot olive oil. Though the seasoning on the fish is simple, the flavor is out of this world! The caramelization that happens to the fish as it sears in the pan adds a whole other layer of flavor that you can only get from a nice, hot skillet.
The next component of our sammie that we need to make is the condiment. Since I've kept my herb garden alive for a whole two months (and counting), I've been finding as many ways to use those herbs as I can. So, we're going to make a Basil Garlic Mayo to schmear on our sandwiches! Fresh torn basil, a minced garlic clove, a dash of black pepper, and mayonnaise all get tossed in a food processor and blended together. The end result is a fragrant spread that perfectly compliments our rich salmon.
The rest of our sammie comes together with the remainder of the classic BLT ingredients: bacon, lettuce, and tomato! The sandwich gets served on a lightly toasted brioche bun that's been schmeared with our yummy basil garlic mayo, topped with our crisp bacon, fresh lettuce, and tangy tomatoes, then finshed with our hearty piece of perfectly cooked salmon.
This was one of those sandwiches that made me “OMG” out loud. It's rich, and creamy, and decadent, and warm, and cold, and crispy, and crunchy, and utterly delicious. You get so many flavors, textures, and even temperatures in each bite. It's on my list of new favorites.
And, bonus tip! You could totally make these a party sandwich by cutting the salmon into even smaller pieces and serving them on brioche sliders! YUM!
Boy, am I glad sandwiches are back in my life. I've missed you, old friend.
I hope you guys enjoy, and let's eat!
Salmon BLT
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs salmon filet, skin removed
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup mayonnaise
6 basil leaves, torn
1 clove garlic, minced
8 slices bacon, cooked
4 brioche buns, lightly toasted (if desired)
1 tomato, sliced
lettuce, torn
Directions:
Make the Basil Garlic Mayonnaise: In a small food processor, add mayo, basil, garlic, and ¼ tsp pepper. Process until combined and smooth. Set aside in the fridge for at least an hour for the flavors to blend.
Make the Salmon: Cut salmon filet into four portions that match the size of your bun. Season both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, add salmon to the pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes per side, until the internal temp of the salmon reaches 145 degrees. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.
Assemble the sandwich: On the bottom half of a bun, layer a piece of lettuce, 1-2 tomato slices, 2 slices of bacon, and 1 piece of salmon. Schmear a generous amount of basil garlic mayo on the top half of the bun. Close the sandwich. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve!
Recipe notes:
*I recommend buying a larger salmon filet instead of pre-portioned salmon so that you can cut it down yourself. That way, you can cut pieces that will fit better on your sandwich instead of having to awkwardly turn your sandwich into a puzzle.
*These would also be super cute on brioche sliders! Just cut your salmon into smaller pieces.
*I use this mini food processor for basically everything. It's the perfect size for small jobs like this.
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