Serves 3-4
8 oz skin-on wild salmon fillet
1 cup frozen peas, thawed in a colander
1 tbsp miso
2 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
3 oz orzo pasta
½ deli pickle, sliced in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced crossways
1 medium red onion, peeled and ends trimmed, then sliced into ½ inch disks
2 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
2 tbsp fresh dill fronds
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper
Add the miso and butter to a mixing bowl and some generous grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
Preheat the oven on the broil setting with the top oven rack placed in the highest position. Leaving enough room for the salmon later, arrange the red onion disks on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil, top and bottom. Broil them for 5 minutes. Turn the disks to the second side, keeping them as much intact as possible, and broil 2 minutes more. As they blister and become soft, lift off the outermost rings and transfer to the mixing bowl.
Drizzle the flesh side of the salmon with oil, then turn that side down onto the (hot) sheet pan. Broil it skin side up for 3 minutes alongside the onion rings. Remove the onion ring layers as more become soft and blistered, and turn the salmon over. Broil both for another 3 minutes - about 10-12 minutes total for the blistered onions, and 6 minutes for the salmon, cooked to medium (depending on the thickness of your salmon). Remove the pan from the oven and allow the salmon to cool enough so you can handle it.
While the fish and onions broil, cook the orzo in well-salted boiling water until al dente according to the package instructions. Strain and add the orzo to the miso and butter, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water. Stir to dissolve the butter and miso until they coat the pasta. Add half of the pasta water to accelerate the process, then vigorously stir to emulsify the sauce. It will look silky, coating the orzo. Add more pasta water as needed and repeat, for a consistency to your liking.
Add a few more grinds of black pepper, the peas, half the pickles, and any remaining blistered red onions, then break the salmon into large chunks and add it to the mix. Add the dill fronds and stir to combine. Taste and see if more pickley flavor is desired - depending on the saltiness of your miso and pickles, half the amount may suffice.
Divide the salmon-orzo mix into shallow bowls. Finish with more black pepper to taste and a scatter of toasted almonds.