Baked salmon remoulade

Have you ever heard of remoulade sauce? Growing up in southern Louisiana, it was a staple condiment. This sauce is a complex blend of flavors, better than the sum of its parts. It's bold, tangy, and creamy, hitting every single note you could want in a condiment. One of my favorite dishes growing up was shrimp remoulade on a salad. 

Recently, I was inspired by a fusion dish from one of my favorite local restaurants, Koriander. I've previously shared my take on their unique recipe—a mayo-based sauce with Asian accents broiled atop salmon and vegetables.

This time, I decided to create a Cajun twist using remoulade. The spicy, creamy Cajun sauce blended perfectly with the lush salmon and added bold flavor to the vegetables. Now, living in the Pacific Northwest, salmon is our go-to fish, but this recipe would work well with any thick-cut fish like cod or halibut.

You might find that you love the remoulade sauce so much that you'll want to use it as a dip for shrimp or fries!

Remoulade sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 T capers

1 1/2 t ketchup
1 1/2 t whole grain mustard
1 1/2 t freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce

1 t Tabasco sauce
1 t horseradish
1/2 t Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
handful of chopped green onions (optional)

1 T neutral oil
2 salmon fillets, about .75-.85 lbs total, skin on or off
~ 1 lb lightly steamed veggies (broccoli or cauliflower florets, sliced carrot, and/or bell pepper). I just microwave them with 1 T water for 4 minutes)

serve with rice

Add oil to a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, place in oven on top rack, and preheat to 425. In a small bowl, stir together all sauce ingredients. Once oven is preheated, remove cast iron and arrange salmon fillets skin-side down (if they have skin). Scatter vegetables in a single layer around the pan. Pour the sauce on top of the fish, spreading it down onto the sides as well. Pour remaining sauce over the vegetables. Bake 8 minutes, then broil for 5-ish minutes until top is browned and salmon is cooked through to your liking (I like it medium). Garnish with green onions if using.