Chef Chad Hardin has a bright, fruit-forward array of summer dishes planned for guests of the West End Kitchen, from watermelon burrata panzanella salad to grilled peaches with blue cheese to black bass ceviche in a honeydew serrano broth. The restaurant, now open for both lunch and dinner service at 23 Rectory Street in Pittsboro, offers seasonal, ingredient- driven menus year-round.
Use our list of area farms to collect blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, peaches and more, then get creative in the kitchen! Below, Chad shares his strawberry balsamic glazed salmon recipe.
•1 each 6 oz. filet coho salmon (this recipe uses skin-on fillets, but the results are the same if skinless is preferred)
• White pepper
• Blended oil
• 5 oz. shallots, sliced
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 lb. strawberries, rinsed, stems removed and sliced • 1⁄2 cup honey
• 1⁄2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄2 cup red wine (Italian blend)
• 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
To prepare the glaze:
In a small pot over medium high heat, add a tablespoon of blended oil and shallots. Stirring frequently, continue to cook the shallots until slightly soft with no color. Season the shallots with salt to taste.
Add your strawberries and cook to slightly break down the fruit, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and reduce by 1⁄3 in volume. Remove from heat.
Add sauce to a blender and buzz on high for 1 minute. Adjust seasoning if needed.
To prepare the salmon:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Season the salmon to taste with kosher salt and white pepper.
In a medium sized nonstick pan (or cast-iron pan), add the blended oil and allow it to come up to a medium heat before adding your filet, skin-side down in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat, paying attention to the outer edges of the fish that will begin to brown. Adjust your heat down if it takes on color too quickly.
After 2 minutes, remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons of the glaze to the fish, spreading it evenly over the surface. Cook in the oven for 5 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the filet and preferred doneness, you may choose to cook it longer. Five minutes yielded a fish of medium doneness, which still had some slight pink.
Once you have removed the fish from the oven, allow it to rest for 3 minutes before enjoying it.
