Chef critique
Coho Salmon with Delicata & Pear Butter
A beautifully paced and well-written recipe that smartly front-loads preparation, needing only a minor adjustment to salt distribution to properly season the side salad.
Score: 9/10
Suggested fixes
- Reduce the salt on the delicata squash in step 1 from 1¼ teaspoons to 1 teaspoon.
- Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt to the arugula and pear salad in step 7 to balance the lemon juice.
Issues
- low / flavor: The arugula and pear salad in step 7 is not seasoned with salt, which will leave it tasting flat against the sharp lemon juice. The delicata squash in step 1 receives 1¼ teaspoons of salt, which is slightly above the 1% target for its roughly 10-ounce prepped weight.
Strengths
- Excellent front-loading of prep work in the first three steps before active cooking begins.
- Flawless tracking and concise references for divided ingredients like the olive oil, lemon juice, and thyme.
- Precise and appropriate doneness target for the salmon (125°F) with a brief rest.
- Appropriate application of the 1.25% salt standard for boneless fish.