A-Lot-Like-Lacquered Salmon
Serves 4

At Trios, our favorite restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas, where we lived and worked for many years, a signature entree is the original sweet and peppery version of this dish. When we’re in town, we never fail to visit our good friends at Trios and if we feel like a bit of a carb splurge, we order the salmon prepared this way. We don’t get back there as much as we’d like, so we developed a lower carb impression of their delectable dish.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons granular Splenda
4 tablespoons finely ground black pepper
4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each), rinsed and patted dry
olive oil to brush on fillets
2 tablespoons peanut or coconut oil, for skillet

Salsa garnish
4 green onions, chopped, white and green parts
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 lime, juice and zest
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine all ingredients except the cilantro, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil and bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered to reduce the volume of liquid by about half.
2. Remove salsa from heat, stir in the cilantro and balsamic vinegar, and set aside until serving time. Just before serving, whisk in the olive oil.
3. Put the peanut or coconut oil into a large, heavy skillet over high heat and tip in all directions to evenly coat the bottom..
4. In a shallow bowl, thoroughly mix the Splenda and black pepper.
5. Lightly brush both sides of each salmon fillet with olive oil and dredge in the Splenda/pepper mixture to evenly coat.
6. Carefully place the fillets into the hot oiled skillet and let them cook, undisturbed, for 4 minutes. Be aware, you may create some smoke here. Flip and cook the remaining side 3 to 5 minutes to your desired level of doneness.
7. Remove fillets to the serving plate, drizzle some of the salsa over them, and pass the remainder around the table.