As a long-time vegetarian, cooking meat of any kind is definitely something I still don’t feel totally 100% comfortable with. Don’t get me wrong – I love pretty much every kind of meat, and am constantly bookmarking, Pinning, and otherwise saving meat-based recipes. I totally understand the homey appeal of a roasted chicken, the ease of throwing some steak on the grill for a quick dinner. But when it comes down to it, I’m just not that pumped about removing the skin from a piece of fish or getting all up close and personal with some raw chicken. I do it, because I love the end result, but there’s definitely that ew-gross-squeam factor there.
Obviously, this is something I am super into getting over, so I am trying to do it as much as I can. And when I saw this awesome recipe for prosciutto-wrapped salmon in my new favorite cookbook, I was immediately drawn to the one-pan simplicity, the bright colors, and the prosciutto-wrapped-ness (totally a word/thing). Lima beans and corn get sautéed with onion, a Serrano pepper, and olive oil. Pink salmon gets wrapped up tight in salty prosciutto and thrown into the mix. It’s easy, delicious, and pretty budget-friendly, since you can use a lot of frozen ingredients. It can also be easily customizable – we decided it would be great next time with chicken thighs or flank steak, and you could add pretty much whatever you want to the succotash concoction (I could see some red bell peppers being awesome). But as it is, there’s a wonderful balance, with the thin, crispy prosciutto complimenting the meaty salmon and the vegetable succotash providing a light but very flavorful backdrop. It’s a delicious summer dish, perfect for eating outside on the patio with a glass of wine on a beautiful summer night. Or, if you’re us, on the couch, per usual, watching the sunset from inside and still loving life. Without a patio. Because with prosciutto-wrapped anything, what more do you need?
- 2 6-oz salmon fillets
- Salt and pepper
- 4 thin slices prosciutto
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 poblano chile (seeded and ribs removed), diced
- 2 cups frozen corn (or kernels from 2 ears, if using fresh corn)
- ½ cup frozen lima beans
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- Using a paper towel, pat the salmon fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. Wrap 2 slices of prosciutto around each salmon fillet. (Or, if you’re me and butchered the fish a little bit when removing the skin, wrap 2 around each of your 3 fillet “pieces”. Increasing the prosciutto-to-anything ratio is never a bad idea, so whatevs.) Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, and when the oil gets shimmery, add the salmon to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until it is browned on the first side, then flip. Continue to cook for about another minute, or until the other side gets nicely browned. Move the fish to a holding plate to rest while you cook the veggies (the fish isn’t cooked fully at this point, so no samples).
- Using the same pan, add the onion and poblano pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the corn, lima beans, a pinch of cayenne, ¼ tsp salt, and some black pepper. Sauté about 2 minutes (if using frozen corn), or about 1 minute if using fresh. Add the chicken broth and stir in the basil. Return the fish back to the pan on top of the veggies and cover. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 3 minutes longer – until the fish is cooked through (it should flake easily with a fork).
- Divide the succotash onto 2 plates, top with fish, and serve.
- Fresh corn is wonderful during the summer, but if frozen works just as well when it's off-season!
