Ingredients

• 4 skin-on salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each, preferably wild-caught
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons merquén, chili powder, or smoked paprika
• Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups watercress, rinsed, drained, and dried
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, preferably a colorful heirloom mix, halved
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the salmon fillets under cold running water and dry on paper towels. Run your fingers over the flesh side and remove any pin bones with kitchen tweezers or pliers. Using a pastry brush, brush 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on both sides of the salmon fillets. Season evenly with the merquén as well as salt and pepper. 

Step 2

Make the vinaigrette: In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Step 3

Combine the watercress and tomatoes in a mixing bowl and set aside until ready to serve.

Step 4

Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high. Arrange the salmon, skin side down, directly on the grill grate. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily when pressed with a fork. Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the salmon fillets to a plate or platter.

Step 5

Shake the jar with the vinaigrette ingredients vigorously until the dressing is emulsified. Immediately pour over the watercress and tomatoes, and toss gently. Divide among four dinner plates and top with the salmon fillets.

Ingredients

• For the meat:
• 4 filet mignon steaks (each 6 to 8 ounces and at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick)
• Coarse salt (sea or kosher)
• 1/2 cup cracked black peppercorns, spread out in a shallow bowl

• For the cutting board sauce:
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup stemmed flat-leaf parsley or other fresh herbs
• 2 scallions, trimmed
• 1 red jalapeño or serrano pepper
• Coarse salt (sea or kosher) and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup best-quality extra virgin olive oil, in a small bowl

Directions

Step 1

Arrange the filets mignons in a baking dish. Generously salt each on both sides. Dry-brine the steaks in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, uncovered, turning them once.

Step 2

Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. (Or use a stove-top grill pan.) Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well.

Step 3

Dip each filet mignon in cracked black pepper to crust the top and bottom. Arrange the steaks on the grill grate. Grill for 1 1/2 minutes, then give each steak a quarter turn, to lay on a crosshatch of grill marks. When the bottom is sizzling and browned (you may see beads of blood start to form on the top), turn the steaks and grill the other side the same way. Grill the steaks on the sides, too, to expose all surfaces to the heat.

Step 4

You’ll need about 3 minutes per side for rare (120° to 125°F); 4 minutes per side for medium-rare (130° to 135°F); 5 minutes per side for medium (140° to 145°F). Use an instant-read thermometer inserted through the side of the steak to check for doneness.

Step 5

In the meantime, make the cutting board sauce: Working on a large cutting board with a well (a juice-catching groove usually around the periphery), finely chop the garlic and parsley. Thinly slice the scallions (both white and green parts) and the pepper crosswise. Season generously with salt and pepper and pour half the olive oil on top. Mix with the blade of the knife.

Step 6

Remove the hot filets mignons from the grill and lay them directly on top of the ingredients on the cutting board. Cut each steak with downward strokes of the knife into 1/4-inch-thick slices. (There is no need to let the meat rest.) Pour the remaining olive oil over the sliced steaks and toss on the board with a spoon and the blade of the knife: The idea is to coat the steak slices with herbs and oil and mix them with the meat juices. Add salt and pepper to taste. The whole process should take less than a minute. Transfer to a platter or plates and serve at once.