Shaved Vegetable Salad with Brown-Butter Barley and Seared Salmon

Directions

Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the barley and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, and chill thoroughly. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard. Using a mandoline, cut the fennel, celery, cucumbers, radishes, and onion crosswise into paper-thin slices. Combine the vegetables with the endives and parsley in a medium bowl. Add the oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp. salt, and toss to coat. Divide the vegetables evenly among four plates. Melt the butter in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until nut brown, about 2 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer the barley to a medium bowl; cover and keep warm. Add the oil to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of each piece of salmon with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Add the salmon to the skillet skin side down and cook until just golden brown on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip and continue to cook until browned on the second side and not quite opaque in the center, about 1 minute longer. Lay a piece of salmon on top of each salad. Top with a dollop of cream, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve with rye toast, if you like.