Pan-fried salmon with sorrel and pistachio pesto

Ingredients:

• 4 salmon fillets, 170g each, with skin
• 1 bunch of sorrel (about 200 g)
• 0.5 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 small clove of garlic, peeled
• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat while you prepare the pesto. Remove the fish from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature.
2. Trim the sorrel stems from the leaves and discard (especially if they're already stringy and tough, as they tend to be toward the end of the season). You should have about 4 cups of tightly packed sorrel leaves.
3. Combine the pistachios and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the sorrel and pulse until all the leaves are chopped and combined with the nuts. With the processor running, gradually beat in up to 3/4 cup of olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Add about 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pesto onto each plate. Transfer the remaining pesto to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap to prevent browning. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
4. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully place the salmon skin-side down in the pan to avoid splattering. Don't worry if the skin sticks to the pan; it will release after about 2 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes total. Flip and cook until the salmon is firm to the touch (it will still be slightly translucent in the center), another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and place the fish skin-side up on each plate to serve.