Smoked salmon needs almost no cooking, just assembly on a weeknight. This warm butter and lemon dressing wakes up the fish's peppery crust while the salmon stays soft. Serve it over toast or with a green salad to stretch the meal.

Serves 2. 12 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 500 calories a serving, 23 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 31 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Toast 4 slices of bread until the edges brown. While the bread toasts, cut 3 tablespoons of butter into three pieces and set them by the stove.4 min
2. Melt the first piece of butter in a small pan over medium heat, then add the second and third pieces as each one melts, swirling to emulsify until the butter is light and foamy, about 2 minutes.2 min
3. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the foaming butter, add a pinch each of salt and pepper, and take the pan off the heat.
4. Arrange 6 ounces of smoked salmon on the warm toast, drizzle with the warm butter sauce, and squeeze the remaining half lemon over both plates.

Note You can swap the toast for boiled potatoes or a grain like farro. Smoked salmon keeps in the fridge for two days after opening; butter sauce keeps covered for one day and tastes good cold over leftover salmon mixed into greens at lunch.