Pan-Seared Wild Salmon with Lemon-Dill Garlic Butter, Roasted Zucchini and Kale, and Roasted Broccoli with Goat Cheese Buttermilk Dressing

Wild salmon pan-seared until the skin is crisp, then basted with lemon-dill garlic butter, served with lemony roasted zucchini and crispy kale, and caramelized roasted broccoli drizzled with a creamy herbed goat cheese dressing. Restaurant-elegant, and easy enough for a weeknight.

Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 35 min · Total: 45 min · Year-round (wild salmon is caught fresh in Alaska roughly May through September, and frozen-at-sea is excellent all year; zucchini peaks in North America in summer, and kale from fall through spring) · Best eaten: early evening

The Menu

• Pan-Seared Wild Salmon with Lemon-Dill Garlic Butter

• Roasted Zucchini and Crispy Kale

• Roasted Broccoli with Herbed Goat Cheese Dressing

Recipe 1: Pan-Seared Wild Salmon with Lemon-Dill Garlic Butter

Ingredients

• 4 wild salmon fillets, skin-on (about 6 oz each): sockeye, king, or coho

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• Zest of 1 lemon

Lemon-dill garlic butter

• 4 tbsp grass-fed butter, softened

• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 3 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• Zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tbsp juice

• ½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• Optional: a pinch of red pepper flakes

To finish: lemon wedges, fresh dill sprigs, and flaky sea salt

Method

1. Make the lemon-dill garlic butter. Mash the softened butter with the garlic, dill, parsley, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and chili flakes (if using). You can make it ahead and refrigerate it; let it soften before using.

2. Prep the salmon. Take it out of the fridge 15–20 minutes before cooking, and pat it completely dry. A dry surface is the key to crispy skin.

3. Season both sides with salt and pepper, and the flesh side with lemon zest.

4. Sear skin-side down. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay the salmon skin-side down and sear 4–5 minutes without moving it, until the skin is deeply crisp and releases easily from the pan.

5. Flip and baste. Flip the salmon and add the lemon-dill garlic butter. As it melts, tilt the pan and spoon the butter over the fish for 2–3 minutes, until it reaches 125–130°F for medium. Salmon overcooks quickly, so keep an eye on it.

6. Rest and serve. Move the salmon to warm plates, skin-side up, and spoon the remaining butter from the pan over each fillet. Rest 2–3 minutes, then finish with dill, flaky salt, and lemon wedges.

Recipe 2: Roasted Zucchini and Crispy Kale

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch rounds or half-moons

• 1 large bunch lacinato or curly kale, tough stems removed, torn into 2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided

• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

• 1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• Optional: a pinch of red pepper flakes

• Zest of ½ lemon, plus 1 tbsp juice

• Optional: 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

• Flaky sea salt

Method

1. Roast the zucchini. Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment. Toss the zucchini with 2 tbsp olive oil, half the garlic, the thyme, salt, pepper, and chili flakes (if using). Spread it in a single layer and roast 15 minutes, tossing once, until it's starting to caramelize.

2. Massage the kale. While the zucchini roasts, massage the kale with the remaining olive oil and garlic and a pinch of salt for 1–2 minutes, until it softens and darkens slightly. This keeps it tender inside as it crisps.

3. Add the kale. Scatter it over the zucchini and roast 8–10 minutes more, tossing once, until the zucchini is deeply caramelized and the kale is crisp at the edges.

4. Finish with lemon juice and zest, Parmigiano (if using), and flaky salt.

Recipe 3: Roasted Broccoli with Herbed Goat Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

Roasted broccoli

• 1½ lb broccoli (about 2 medium heads), cut into large florets with 2 inches of stem

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• Optional: a pinch of red pepper flakes

• Zest of ½ lemon

Herbed goat cheese dressing

• 4 oz fresh goat cheese (chèvre), at room temperature

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

• 2 tbsp fresh chives, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

• ½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 3–5 tbsp water, to thin

• Optional: 1 tsp raw honey, to balance the tang

To finish: fresh chives, flaky sea salt, lemon zest, and toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Method

1. Roast the broccoli. Heat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment. Toss the broccoli with the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes (if using), and lemon zest. Spread it cut-side down in a single layer, and roast 20–25 minutes, tossing once, until deeply caramelized at the edges and tender.

2. Make the dressing. Whisk (or blend, for an extra-silky dressing) the goat cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, chives, parsley, dill, salt, pepper, and honey (if using). Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and pourable.

3. Serve. Pile the broccoli on a warm platter and drizzle the dressing generously over the top, without drowning it, so the caramelized edges still show. Finish with chives, flaky salt, lemon zest, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

For more roasting tips, see my Roasted Brassicas: A Foundation Guide.

To Serve

Set the salmon at the center of a warm platter or individual plates, spooned generously with the lemon-dill garlic butter, with the roasted zucchini and kale alongside. Serve the broccoli with its goat cheese dressing on the same plate or as a separate side, with lemon wedges and flaky salt at the table.

Storage

• Salmon: refrigerated up to 2 days. It's excellent cold, flaked over greens.

• Lemon-dill garlic butter: refrigerated up to 1 week, or frozen up to 3 months. It's wonderful on any grilled meat or fish.

• Roasted zucchini and kale: refrigerated up to 3 days. Reheat at 400°F for 5 minutes to recrisp.

• Roasted broccoli: refrigerated up to 4 days.

• Goat cheese dressing: refrigerated up to 5 days. It's also lovely on salads, roasted vegetables, or as a dip.

Leftover transformations:

• Flake cold salmon over greens with the leftover goat cheese dressing, for lunch.

• Fold leftover roasted vegetables into scrambled pastured eggs with fresh herbs.

• Melt leftover lemon-dill butter over grilled chicken or fish.

Nourishment Notes

Wild salmon — omega-3s (EPA and DHA), astaxanthin (especially high in sockeye), vitamin D, B12, and complete protein.

Fresh dill — carvone and limonene, traditionally used to support digestion.

Garlic and chives — allicin and organosulfur compounds.

Grass-fed butter — vitamins A and K2, CLA, and butyrate.

Zucchini — potassium, vitamin C, and fiber.

Kale — glucosinolates (the precursors to sulforaphane and DIM), vitamin K (one of the richest food sources), folate, and magnesium.

Broccoli — glucosinolates, vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, and fiber.

Goat cheese — calcium, protein, and mostly A2-type casein, which many people find easier to digest than conventional cow's milk.

Parsley and thyme — vitamin K, apigenin, thymol, and carvacrol.

Lemon — vitamin C, d-limonene, and hesperidin.

Extra virgin olive oil — oleic acid and polyphenols, plus it helps you absorb the vegetables' fat-soluble vitamins.

Parmigiano-Reggiano (if using) — calcium, K2, and protein.

Pumpkin seeds (if using) — magnesium, zinc, and iron.

For your cycle: The salmon's omega-3s help calm inflammation and support hormonal balance in every phase, and the kale and broccoli support estrogen metabolism through Phase 2 liver detoxification. This light, bright plate is especially lovely in the follicular and ovulatory phases.

Sourcing

• Wild salmon — wild Alaskan sockeye, king, or coho, from Vital Choice or a trusted fishmonger

• Zucchini, kale, broccoli, garlic, herbs, and lemons — organic, from a farmers' market

• Goat cheese — a fresh farmstead chèvre from a local dairy, or Cypress Grove or Vermont Creamery

• Grass-fed butter — organic, cultured butter from 100% grass-fed cows

• Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional) — DOP, aged 24+ months, made from raw milk by law

• Pumpkin seeds (optional) — organic and raw

• Raw honey (optional) — organic, local, and unfiltered

• Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass

• Salt — Baja Gold sea salt; Maldon for finishing

— Anna aka Food Marshall