Sauteed salmon with spinach

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pour in enough canola oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is shimmering, lay the salmon into the pan skin side down, with the short edge of the salmon piece closest to you going down first (to prevent being splashed by the hot oil). When the edges of the salmon begin to brown, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the salmon has become opaque about of the way up the sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a plating spoon to continuously baste the salmon with the hot oil to help cook it through, about 2 minutes.

Using a plating spoon or a long, flexible palette knife, flip the

salmon and cook just long enough to “kiss” the flesh side, about 30 seconds, basting a few times. Turn off the heat and transfer the salmon to a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain. Pour off the oil from the pan into a heatsafe bowl.

Use a rasp grater to grate the lemon zest over the spinach leaves and gently mix to distribute the zest in the spinach. Set the sauté pan over high heat. Add 1/3 of the spinach, season with a pinch of salt and 1/3 of the minced shallot; then layer another 1/3 of the spinach, 1/3 of the minced shallot, and another pinch of salt.

Finish with a final layer of spinach, minced shallot, and salt, and stir with a plating spoon for 30 seconds. Turn the heat down to medium and continue stirring just until the spinach is wilted, not overcooked. Drain the spinach on a paper towel–lined plate.

Divide the spinach among 4 plates and top with a salmon fillet, skin side up. Spoon the pickled chow-chow vinaigrette around the fish and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice over the vinaigrette and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt over the salmon.