Grilled Salmon with Basil Pesto Vinaigrette and Lemon Orzo

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Skin-on salmon fillets cooked hard on oiled grates and flipped exactly once, so the skin crisps and the center stays coral and juicy. A loose basil pesto vinaigrette — pesto thinned with lemon and good olive oil so it pours instead of clumps — goes over the top, and a bowl of buttery lemon orzo with peas turns it into a real plated dinner. Inspired by the broiled salmon plates at Louisiana seafood houses, with an indoor broiler method included for anyone without a grill.

Ingredients

• 4 fillets skin-on salmon fillets, 6 oz each, about 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
• neutral oil, for the grates (canola or grapeseed)

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp cold water, plus more as needed

• 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the pasta water
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp minced shallot
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Pull the salmon out of the fridge 20 to 25 minutes before cooking. Blot the fillets very dry on all sides with paper towels — surface moisture is the main reason salmon sticks. Run your fingers over the flesh and pull any pin bones with tweezers or needle-nose pliers.
2. Make the vinaigrette: combine the basil, parsley, nuts, garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor and pulse 8 to 10 times until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, stream in the 1/2 cup olive oil, then add the Parmesan, 2 tbsp lemon juice, lemon zest, and vinegar and pulse to combine. Add 1 tbsp cold water and pulse once more — you want a loose, pourable sauce, not a stiff paste. Add water 1 tsp at a time until it ribbons off a spoon. Scrape into a bowl and set aside at room temperature.
3. Cook the orzo: bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tbsp kosher salt. Add the orzo and cook 7 to 8 minutes, until just tender with a slight bite. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain (do not rinse).
4. In the same empty pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the shallot and cook 2 minutes until softened and fragrant but not browned. Add the frozen peas and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook 2 minutes until the peas are bright and hot.
5. Return the orzo to the pot off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp lemon zest, loosening with more reserved pasta water until creamy and spoonable. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and keep warm.
6. Heat the grill: build a hot fire or set gas burners to high and preheat, lid closed, for 12 to 15 minutes until the grates read about 500°F. Scrape the grates ruthlessly clean with a wire brush, then fold a paper towel into a pad, dip it in neutral oil, grip it with tongs, and wipe the grates until they look glossy and just begin to smoke. Oil them a second time.
7. Brush the salmon all over with the 1 tbsp olive oil and season the flesh and skin with the 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.
8. Lay the fillets skin-side down on the hot grates, running with the bars, and close the lid. Grill undisturbed 5 to 6 minutes — do not poke or nudge. The skin should release on its own; if it resists when you slide a thin metal spatula under an edge, give it another 45 seconds.
9. Flip once, flesh-side down, and grill 2 to 4 more minutes with the lid open, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part registers 125°F for medium (120°F if you like it rarer, 130°F for fully opaque). Total time is roughly 8 to 10 minutes for a 1-inch fillet. Transfer skin-side down to a platter and rest 3 to 4 minutes; carryover heat will bring it up about 5 degrees.
10. Spoon the lemon orzo onto warm plates, set a fillet on or beside it, and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pesto vinaigrette over the fish, letting it pool onto the pasta. Finish with flaky salt and a lemon wedge and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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