Open Faced Blackened Salmon Sandwich

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If your’e ready to change up your standard lunch routine with a delicious twist, an Open Faced Blackened Salmon Sandwich is a great place to start. 

I’ve been eating seafood all my life, but growing up I refused to eat salmon. I don’t know why, especially because I don’t think I ever tried it. However, when I get it in my brain that I don’t like a certain food, that’s it. Then, about 20 years ago at the beach Denise convinced me to try the salmon she grilled for dinner. It was either that or starve, so I cautiously took a bite…and loved it. Ever since then, I eat salmon regularly.

I very rarely have bread in the house because, when I do, I eat it all. And that just isn’t good for my waistline. However, a couple weeks ago I participated in a recipe roundup for national grilled cheese day, and I bought a loaf of sourdough bread for my Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese.

I’m a huge fan of sourdough bread, so it was kind of a miracle that I managed to not the whole loaf in record time. About a week later I had taken out salmon to thaw for lunch, and originally planned to make my Blackened Salmon BLT Salad. Then I remembered the bread, and decided to create a Blackened Salmon Sandwich. The salmon portions at Sam’s Club are generous, and it’s a lot for one sandwich. I didn’t want to eat twice as much bread, so I decided to make an Open Faced Blackened Salmon Sandwich.

First, the salmon. For a long time I always bought the blackened salmon from Sam’s Club. I really liked it, but it limited my recipe options. And then I learned to make my own blackening spice mix. So I now buy plain salmon, and season as needed. The problem I often run into with these portions is the shape, because it’s almost like a bell curve. So the edges cook first and dry out, while the middle is sometimes under-cooked. I’ve learned that enough the hard way, so I cut the salmon into chunks first.

These chunks were a little too big, because they were difficult to eat as part of a sandwich. Next time I would cut them even smaller. I’ve tried grilling the salmon chunks, but you don’t get the beautiful golden color from the grill. Instead, I heat a little bit of oil in a skillet, and cook the salmon that way.

I dressed the bread lightly, with light mayonnaise, brown mustard, and a little hot sauce, and added lettuce, tomato, red onion and avocado.

This Open Faced Blackened Salmon Sandwich is so delicious. I cut the bread into thick slices, and it holds up really well to all the toppings. The blackening spice has just a slight kick, but of course you can adjust the spices to your liking. The hot sauce adds a little more heat, but it is not overpowering. I think bacon would be a great addition, but really this sandwich was perfect on its own.

The last thing I did was drizzle it with Lucero Balsamic Vinegar. My friend Dianne introduced me to Lucero a couple of yearsu ago, and I’ve never looked back. It is thick, rich, and so divine. It’s more expensive than regular store-bought, but a little goes a long way.

There’s no question that this Open Faced Blackened Salmon Sandwich will remain on my menu rotation.