Salmon with Arugula and Artichoke
Though I turned vegetarian during a traumatic semester of Meat Science in college, I always kept fish in my diet. Ethically, it didn’t bother me as much as the other animals and I definitely needed to keep some protein in my life. Salmon has always been one of my favorite types of fish and it’s so nutrient dense. Typically I make it with lemon and dill, but decided I needed to find a more adventurous recipe this time. I stumbled across a recipe from Half Baked Harvest (my favorite food blog) and have adapted it to this Salmon with Arugula and Artichoke recipe. This is definitely a new favorite dish at the Farmhouse!
Sourcing Salmon
Finding sustainable sources for fish is always a challenge for me. I prefer wild-caught, but that can contribute to overfishing. Meanwhile, conventional farm-raised fish are fed tons of synthetic hormones (to make them all one gender) and can also harm wild fish populations. Regardless of what type of salmon you buy, just try to opt for something sustainably raised, yet within budget (I know that’s a tough one!). A couple of fish farms done right are Superior Fresh (salmon) and Rushing Waters Fisheries(trout). You can read more about each of them here. Personally, I have been buying Orca Bay lately since it is wild caught, but am open to trying new brands too. If you know of any great sources of sustainable salmon, I’d love to take your suggestions in the comments below.
White Wine
Although it is optional, I like adding a touch of white wine to my Salmon with Arugula and Artichoke. It gives the sauce a unique type of tangy dimension and is a perfect compliment to almost any cream sauce. For this recipe, I used the classic Prairie Fume from Wollersheim Winery. It is the most famous wine from this local Wisconsin winery and has hints of citrus which pair nicely with the lemon added at the end. If you can’t find Prairie Fume in your area, any dry white wine (except “cooking wine”) such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc would work too.
Dairy Products
There are a few dairy products used to make Salmon with Arugula and Artichoke and I’m pretty particular about each one. I recently discovered the delight of Irish butter and there is no going back! Since it’s grass-fed, it is also noticeably more yellow, meaning it has more vitamin A. I found Waterford Irish Dairy and it is the most delicious butter I’ve ever had!
For the Neuchatel cheese, I go with my long-time favorite, Organic Valley. It has fewer stabilizers than conventional brands and also comes from pastured cows. Regular cream cheese can be used in place of Neuchatel, but I chose the lower fat option since this is already an very rich meal thanks to the coconut milk and salmon.
When it comes to Parmesan, make sure use buy a block of it and grate it at home! This way you can avoid all the anticaking agents that come with pre-shredded cheese and it will melt a lot better into the sauce.
How to Make Salmon with Arugula and Artichoke
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and having a 9×13 baking dish ready. Then heat some olive oil in a large skillet medium-high heat. Mix the paprika in a small bowl with the salt and pepper and rub the mixture on the skinless side of the fish.
Place each salmon filet skin-side-up in the skillet to sear for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to the baking dish.
Reduce heat to medium and in the same skillet, melt the butter. Then add the diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until soft and translucent. Next add the garlic and sage and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until everything starts to caramelize.
Add the coconut cream, white wine, and Neufchatel cheese to the skillet and use a silicone whisk to emulsify the wine with the cream and to help incorporate the Neufchatel. It may help to cut the cheese into smaller pieces or bring it to room temperature before beginning. Continue stirring constantly as the sauce simmers until everything is smoothly mixed together.
Add the Parmesan, artichokes, and arugula and keep cooking until the greens are wilted. Then remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. If arugula is too bitter or spicy for your taste, any dark leafy green could be used instead.
Pour the sauce over the salmon and bake for 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature of the salmon should be at least 145°F by USDA standards.
I hope you enjoy this Salmon with Arugula and Artichoke recipe! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below and be sure to share your creations on Instagram, tagging @roots_and_rosemary
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