The best salmon I have made, with rice pilaf, grilled asparagus, and blistered shishito peppers

I’ve made a lot of salmon. This was the best of it, so I’m writing down exactly what I did before I forget the details and can’t repeat it.

The whole meal was salmon on the Traeger, a rice pilaf, grilled asparagus, and blistered shishito peppers. All of it below.

The salmon

Prep:

• Lay the fillet skin side down on a sheet of tin foil.
• Season the top with Malibu seasoning.
• Add a generous amount of lemon juice. More than feels right.
• Lay sliced lemons across the top.

Cook:

• Heat the Traeger to 350F. I used Kirkland Signature pellets, the Oak, Hickory, Maple, and Cherry blend.
• Put the salmon on (still on the foil) and cook 34 minutes, untouched. No flipping, no checking, no poking.
• Pull it at 135F in the thickest part. That was the perfect doneness for this cook, moist and just flaky.

My fillet was about 1 to 1.5 inches thick in the center and tapered thinner toward the sides. The 34 minutes got it to 135F for this fillet, but thickness is what really drives it, so go by temperature over time. A cheap probe thermometer takes the guessing out of it.

The untouched part matters. Leaving it alone is what gave it that even, flaky finish.

Rice pilaf

Based on Sarah’s Rice Pilaf from Allrecipes. I’m writing the whole thing out here rather than just linking, in case that page ever disappears. My one change: I used beef stock instead of chicken broth. It’s a deeper, richer flavor and it’s what made this side stand out.

The recipe says it serves 4, but it stretched to feed 6 for us as a side. About 10 minutes of hands-on time, 50 minutes total.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups beef stock (the original calls for chicken broth)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps:

1. Melt the butter in a skillet with a lid, over medium-low heat. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, until it turns golden brown.
2. Stir in the onion and cook until it turns translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and beef stock, turn the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. Add the salt.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Take it off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Grilled asparagus

Done on a regular gas grill, not the Traeger.

• Cut about 1 inch off the ends of 1 bunch of asparagus.
• Put the asparagus in a gallon bag with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan, and 1/8 cup olive oil. Toss to coat.
• Grill over low heat on the top rack for 15 minutes.

Blistered shishito peppers

These were the surprise of the night. So good, and about the easiest thing on the table.

• Heat a pan over medium.
• Spritz in a little avocado oil and season with garlic salt.
• Add the shishitos and cook until they blister, tossing now and then.
• Spritz fresh lime juice over the top right at the end.
• Eat them right away, while they’re hot. That’s when they’re best.

Notes for next time

• The heavy lemon on the salmon, both the juice and the sliced lemons on top, is a big part of why it was so good. Don’t go light on it.
• Beef stock in the pilaf over chicken broth is a keeper.
• On timing: the salmon runs 34 minutes and the pilaf 25 to 30, so start the salmon first, then the pilaf, then the asparagus. Do the shishitos last, right before eating, since they’re quick and best straight out of the pan.