Fireworks Garlic Butter Lemon Sheet Pan Salmon

Fireworks Lemon & Garlic Butter Salmon Sheet Pan dinner 
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest Serves 4-6

This recipe was a winner this past summer. It was my favorite new recipe of July and August. Half Baked Harvest has some gems, but they do tend to be labor-intensive for me. Not only do they require a lot of ingredients but also a lot of chopping. Because of this, it's not in our regular rotation but has become somewhat of a special meal. I even prepared it for the group dinner in Whistler for about 15 people. We crushed it! And I couldn't have done it without my sous chefs that helped me chop all those herbs. The recipe doubles and triples well. It was all very worth it. Fireworks in every bite! Sizzle. Spread. Boom.

Ingredients

1 pound baby potatoes, halved
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
6 cloves garlic, 2 finely chopped, plus 4 whole cloves
1 Fireworks Garlic butter burst, divided into 4 or 6 pats
2 lemons, 1 halved and 1 sliced
4 (5-6 ounce) salmon fillets or 1 big 2-3 lb+ fillet for a crowd
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup green olives, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
4 ounces feta cheese, broken into chunks
baby spinach and arugula, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Arrange the lemon halves and smashed garlic cloves around the potatoes. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. 
2. In a shallow bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons oregano, the paprika, the red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the salmon and toss to coat.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and push them to perimeter of the pan. Put the salmon in the middle, arrange the lemon slices around the salmon. Return the pan to oven and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until the salmon reaches desired doneness.
4. Remove the sheet pan from oven when salmon is between 135° and 145°. Dot the butter pats all over the salmon. It will melt and create a delicious sauce.
5. Remove the garlic cloves from the baking sheet. Then quickly tent the pan with foil to let salmon rest.
6. Finely chop/mash the garlic into a paste, stir the garlic into the dressing. Season with crushed red pepper and salt.
7. To make the dressing. Combine the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, the parsley, 2 tablespoons oregano, the basil, olives, vinegar, and fish sauce (if using).
8. To serve, plate the greens under the salmon first, then add potatoes, and lemons around the salmon. Gently crumble the feta over the salmon, then spoon the dressing over everything. Eat and enjoy!