Salmon with Fresh Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
Salmon:
5 cups olive oil
½ cup basil leaves
1 large lemon, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 (6 ounce) skinless salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Remaining ingredients:
1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly diagonally sliced (about 2 cups)
¼ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions:

To prepare salmon, clip a kitchen thermometer onto side of a 10-inch skillet. Add oil, basil leaves, lemon slices, and garlic to pan; heat to 150̊F. Add fish to oil; cook for 12 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. To ensure even cooking, have the fishmonger prepare similarly shaped fillets and make sure the oil’s temperature returns to and stays at 150̊F after the fish is added. Remove fish from oil; place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper.

Toss cucumber with ⅛ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper; set aside.

Combine juice, chopped basil, remaining ⅛ tsp salt, and remaining ⅛ tsp pepper in a small bowl; drizzle over fish. Serve with cucumber salad. Garnish with basil leaves, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet, ½ cup cucumber salad and 1 tbsp dressing).