Salad Ingredients:
2 blackened salmon fillets (recipe follows)
1 head chopped romaine lettuce heart
4 slices crispy bacon, crumbled (drippings reserved)
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 thinly sliced onion
1/2 medium tomato seeded and sliced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Salad Directions:
Arrange lettuce and other salad ingredients on a platter. Top with salmon fillet and drizzle with Hot Bacon Dressing (recipe follows).

Blackened Salmon Fillets Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, skin on
Larry’s Blackening Seasoning (Recipe follows)
Kosher salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter
Lemon juice, if desired

Salmon Fillet Directions:
1. Rinse and pat dry the salmon fillets. Remove any bones. Turn fillet over, skin side up, and carefully peel away the skin from the thinner under belly up to where the fillet begins to thicken. (Cook’s note: Don’t completely remove the skin; just loosen it from the flesh. This allows easy removal of the entire skin after cooking without breaking the thinner portion of the fillet.)
2. Turn the fillet back over, ensuring that the skin is protecting the flesh from coming in contact with the pan.
3. Brush each fillet with ½ of the butter, and sprinkle heavily with Larry’s Blackening Seasoning. Salt & pepper to taste and drizzle on lemon juice if desired.
4. Place the fillets on the highest shelf under the oven broiler. Cook until the fillets are opaque at the center of the thickest part (about 135 degrees F).  Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of the fillets, but usually 6-10 minutes.

Larry’s Blackening Seasoning Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
3/4 tbsp dried thyme
3/4 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
3/4 tbsp white ground pepper
1 tbsp black ground pepper

Blackening Seasoning Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into a container that you can keep dry and out of direct heat.

Hot Bacon Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 pound thin-sliced bacon, diced; fat reserved
3 tbsp flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Bacon Dressing Directions:
1. Cook bacon until crispy
2. Remove bacon to paper towel covered dish to drain and cool
3. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat
4. Combine flour, sugar, salt
5. Mix well with 1/4 cup water, let stand in mixing container
6. Heat vinegar and remainder of water to hot (do not boil)
7. Add the hot liquid to dry ingredients, stirring well
8. Add the mixture to the bacon fat still in skillet, and cook to desired consistency. (If gravy like texture is desired, you can bring to a brief boil. Overcooking will cause it to congeal into a thick ball)
9. If desired, you can crumble the bacon and add to salad.
10. Pour over your salad of choice and devour immediately.