READY IN 40 mins

Pan Seared Salmon and Scallops with Macadamia-Cilantro Pesto

Read Reviews (9)

"Try to get wild Alaskan king salmon if it's in season. But any salmon will do, just make sure it's fresh. However, if there are no good quality scallops available, just omit them." — Ryan Nomura

Directions

Prepare macadamia-cilantro pesto by placing macadamia nuts, cilantro, green onion, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and macadamia nut oil into the bowl of a blender. Puree until smooth, adding more oil if needed; season to taste with kosher salt.
Heat two very large skillets over medium-high heat with two tablespoons of oil each until smoking. Season the salmon and scallops to taste with kosher salt. Sear salmon fillets, meat-side down, until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip over, and cook on the skin-side 5 minutes to desired doneness. Place seared salmon onto serving plates, then sear the scallops until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
To serve, spoon some of the macadamia-cilantro pesto over the salmon, and garnish with two seared scallop pieces.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 25 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 40 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Sep 19, 2008

I had very high hopes for this recipe because it sounded SO good and I followed it to a "T". I think this recipe should just be listed with the pesto on it's own. I think I would've liked the pesto better on another type of protein. Perhaps a seared beef on some orrechiette pasta. Really, you could use the Pesto on anything. I would make a couple changes to it though. Unfortunately, I couldn't find macadamia oil and I wish I had because I think it really is essential to this recipe. There was something about the raw taste of the garlic that I didn't enjoy (and I LOVE garlic)...next time maybe I would use garlic powder or roasted garlic. But overall, Thanks for the recipe...it really was an amazing combination of flavors...so many flavors!

—gibsey23

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

May 29, 2012

The salmon tasted divine - yumm!! The pesto was over-powered by the lemon juice & zest, so going to try it with only a squeeze of lemon juice next time.

—msharp99

See full review »

11 Ratings

Jul 18, 2011

I was hesitant about making a pesto that was not the traditional basil/parmesan pesto - but WOW this pesto was incredibly refreshing and delightful. I wanted the salmon to have more flavour, so I added a pinch of black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, and oregano before searing it. I used grapeseed oil instead of olive oil to sear the salmon and scallops b/c it has a higher smoke rate. I really enjoyed this recipe!!! I found that using a microplane grater w/ the ginger was extremely beneficial.

—Blondeprincess

See full review »

Mar 16, 2009

Pretty good! I made some changes - I used shrimp instead of scallops and served it all with linguine and halved cherry tomatoes.

—Hannah

See full review »

Jan 02, 2009

Very tasty. I didn`t use ginger in the pesto and it was delicious too. I agree you may use this pesto on anything.

—DiamondGirl amanecer

See full review »

Apr 02, 2008

Very tasty, fast and easy to make. The cilantro-maca pesto is a recipe worth knowing on its own.

—David

See full review »

Dec 14, 2009

Used the pesto on salmon. Skipped the ginger and poached the garlic to cut the sharpness. Delicious! Would be great on many proteins or pasta.

—Karinda

See full review »

May 17, 2008

This is a 'Winner' recipe!

—mjcmcook

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Pan Seared Salmon I

Pan Seared Salmon II

Garam Masala Seared Salmon with Coconut-Curry Butter

Grilled Salmon with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Stephan's Broiled Salmon Pesto

Pan Seared Scallops with Pepper and Onions in Anchovy Oil

Miso-Glazed Salmon

Minted Salmon

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Broiled Salmon

Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Nutrition

Calories
530 kcal
27%

Carbohydrates
5.4 g
2%

Cholesterol
90 mg
30%

Fat
39.4 g
61%

Fiber
1.7 g
7%

Protein
39.4 g
79%

Sodium
267 mg
11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Pan Seared Salmon and Scallops with Macadamia-Cilantro Pesto

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 530
Calories from Fat: 354

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 39.4g 61 %
Saturated Fat 6.6g 33 %
Cholesterol 90mg 30 %
Sodium 267mg 11 %
** Potassium 799mg 22 %
Total Carbohydrates 5.4g 2 %
Dietary Fiber 1.7g 7 %
Protein 39.4g 79 %
** Sugars 0.6g
** Vitamin A 13 %
** Vitamin C 26 %
** Calcium 12 %
** Iron 22 %
** Thiamin 21 %
** Niacin 128 %
** Vitamin B6 51 %
** Magnesium 21 %
** Folate 15 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.