Mustard-Crusted Salmon with Roasted Scallions and Pressed Beet Vinaigrette from Karen Gottschalk

Serves 4
4 beets, trimmed
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 scallions, trimmed to 10-inch length, roots removed
4 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, or more to taste
1/2 cup mustard seeds
1/4 cup coarse sea salt
4 wild king or North Atlantic salmon fillets, about 8 ounces each


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  On a large sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle the beets with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Wrap the beets tightly in the foil and roast until very tender, about 45 minutes.  While the beets roast, drizzle the scallions with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper.  Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and roast until very soft and fragrant, about 25 minutes.  Set aside, keeping them warm.
3. When the beets are cooked and cool enough to handle, peel them and cut 2 of them into 4 or 5 pieces.  Place the beet pieces in the bowl of a food processor ad pulse to form a very coarse purée.  Run the remaining beet through a juicer to extract as much liquid as possible.  In a small bowl, combine the beet purée, beet juice, Sherry vinegar, 1/2 cup of the olive oil, and salt and pepper, adding more vinegar if necessary to create the desired acidity.  Set aside.
4. In a shallow bowl or high-sided plate, combine the mustard seeds and coarse sea salt and stir well to combine.  Season the salmon fillets with
black pepper and press the skin side of each fillet into the mustard and salt mixture to coat it completely.  In a 14- to 16-inch nonstick pan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil until smoking.  Carefully place the fillets in the pan, skin side down, and cook without disturbing for at least 7 minutes, allowing the seeds and salt to form a crust.  When you’ve tested the crust by shaking the pan slightly and are confident that you will not disturb the crust by turning the fish, turn each fillet with a broad spatula, and cook on the flesh side for 3 or 4 minutes.  Place a few of the scallions on each of four warmed dinner plates, top with a cooked fillet, crust side up, and some of the bet vinaigrette, and serve immediately.