Blackened Salmon with Mango Salsa →

The blackening method of cooking seafood is attributed to the New Orleans Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme. Simply put, Chef Paul discovered that a combination of butter, sugar, and spices applied to fish (or meat) and seared on a very hot surface would produce a unique delicious charred spicy crust on whatever protein you’re cooking. Quickly adopted by other chefs in the 1980s, blackened seafood like Red Fish and scallops became signature dishes of southern Louisiana cooking. Like any successful dish, blackened fish and shellfish soon started appearing on the menus of restaurants nationally and the rest is culinary history y’all. The blackening method creates a lot of smoke, so plan on doing your blackening outside on your grill. Don’t be intimidated by the blackening method, it’s actually very easy once you get past the problem of lots of smoke. I use an old beat-up cast iron skillet designated just for my grill. Problem solved. Tangy Mango Salsa naturally compliments the spicy richness of Blackened Salmon. Try fresh Pineapple Salsa or peach salsa if you don’t like or don’t have access to ripe mangos. Enjoy !

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ pound of salmon fillet cut in two pieces (Faroe Island salmon is excellent)

• 1-2 tablespoons melted butter

• Blackening Spice (you can also buy blackening spice at many local markets)

  2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  1 tablespoons salt
  2 tablespoons garlic powder
  2 teaspoons black pepper
  1 teaspoon white pepper
  1 tablespoon onion powder
  ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 tablespoon dried oregano
  1 tablespoon dried thyme

  Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. A spice grinder is helpful. Keep in a tightly closed container with your other spices.

• Mango Salsa
  2 ripe Honey Ataulfo mangos, peeled, pitted, diced (you can sub pineapple or peaches)
  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  2-3 tablespoons chopped sweet Red Pepper and Cubanelle pepper if available
  1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano or jalapeño chili
  1 teaspoon grated lime peel
  2 tablespoons olive oil

  Mix the ingredients well and allow to sit for at least a half-hour for the flavors to meld.

PREPARATION
While you prepare the salmon, pre-heat a cast-iron skillet or other heavy bottom skillet. The blackening method produces a lot of smoke. If you want to avoid setting off the fire alarms in your house, pre-heat the skillet for at least 5-10 minutes on a hot grill and cook the salmon outdoors.

1. Prepare the salsa so it can rest while you cook the salmon.

2. Rinse the salmon and pat dry.

3. Brush the salmon flesh with melted butter and sprinkle on a generous amount of blackening spice. Don’t bother with butter and spice on the skin side of the fillet.

4. Once your skillet is very hot, place the salmon spice-side down, close the grill and cook for three minutes without moving the salmon fillets. Gently, turn over the fillets and cook covered for another 3 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.

5. Top the blackened fillets with mango salsa and serve with side dishes of your choice. A simple green salad or steamed vegetables makes this an easy and delicious meal.

Wine pairing: a dry Riesling, Gerwitztraminer, Viognier or Chenin Blanc would pair with the rich spiciness of this dish. You could also try an Albariño. The beer of your choice would also work.

Maple Glazed Salmon with Peach Salsa →

When peach season comes to the Happy Valley, we feast on peaches. Peach pie, peach cobbler, peaches with Amaretti, grilled peaches brushed with Amaretto, peach salads, peach sauces, and Peach Salsa. Fresh juicy peaches and rich salmon are a perfect match. Refreshingly sweet, salty, juicy, and crunchy, this colorful recipe is a seasonal variation on the Teriyaki Salmon with Mango Salsa on this website. Use fresh ripe locally grown peaches if available. I prefer to use sustainably raised delicately flavored Faroe Island salmon which is quite moist when cooked due to the high-fat content of its flesh, but any salmon will work.  Some flavorful and more colorful wild salmon varieties might be a bit drier, so be careful not to over-cook.

Maple Glazed Salmon with Peach Salsa
Serves 4

Maple Syrup Marinade for Salmon
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 2-tablespoons soy sauce

• 1-2 teaspoons grated ginger

• a few drops of fresh lemon juice

• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sesame oil

• 1 ½+ pounds of salmon (depending on your appetites) 

Preparation:

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients and mix well.

2. Pour the marinade over the salmon fillets and cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or preferably more. (up to 4 hours) 

While the salmon is marinating, make the Peach Salsa. 

Peach Salsa
Ingredients:

• 3 ripe peaches pitted and coarsely chopped; skin removed (see *Note)

• 1 teaspoon fresh mint chopped (more to taste)

• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped (more to taste)

• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion

• 2 tablespoons chopped sweet red bell pepper, or Cubanelle pepper if available

• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon minced seeded serrano or jalapeño chili (more to taste)

• ½ teaspoon grated lime peel

• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• toasted sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

Preparation: 

1. Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. 

Cook the Salmon:
Preheat your grill to about 400 degrees; if using the oven preheat to 375.

1. Once the grill is at temperature, oil the grates or grill pan if you’re using one.

2. Grill the salmon skin-side down for 5-7 minutes with the grill covered, or until the salmon flakes easily and separates easily from the skin using a spatula.

3. If using the oven, you can use a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup); cook for 10 minutes, and check to see if the fish flakes easily. Depending on the thickness of the fillets, if not done, continue cooking for 3-5 minutes and check.

4. Once the salmon flakes easily, you can brown and caramelize the surface of the salmon under the broiler for a minute or two monitoring carefully so you don’t char it. (optional) 

Remove the salmon from heat and serve topped with 1 or 2 tablespoons of peach salsa.  Brown or white rice and Sugar Snap peas and/or a green salad accompany this dish well. 

*Note: the easiest way to skin peaches is to immerse them in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Remove from the water and dry them. After a few seconds, when you peel them, the skin will slip off easily. 

Wine Pairing: to compliment the sweet-salty richness of the maple glazed salmon and bright freshness of the peach salsa, choose a wine with some body and good fruit, but not so minerally and acidic that it competes with the salsa. I like a Viognier with this dish, or a very dry Riesling might also work. If you prefer a more minerally wine with more acidity, you could try a Sauvignon Blanc, Spanish Albariño or Verdejo, or Italian Vermentino.  

Teriyaki Salmon with Mango Salsa →

What do you get when you combine a salty-sweet, umami bomb with bright fresh tangy fruit salsa? Grilled Teriyaki Salmon with Mango Salsa is one of my favorite dishes! Not only does it turn on all 5 Tastes senses, but the finished golden brown salmon topped with bright orange mango and sweet red pepper salsa makes for a beautifully colorful presentation. I prefer to use sustainably raised delicately flavored Faroe Island salmon which is quite moist when cooked due to the high-fat content of its flesh, but any salmon will work. Some flavorful and more colorful wild salmon varieties might be a bit drier, so be careful not to overcook.

Serves 4

Teriyaki Marinade for Salmon
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup light soy sauce

• 1/4 cup mirin (available in the International-Asian section of your super-market)

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil

• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon minced ginger

• 1 tablespoon minced green onion white and light green parts only

• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh wasabi root (optional)

• 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each); preferably an even thickness each.

Preparation:
1. Combine the first 8 or 9 ingredients in a blender for 15-20 seconds.
2. Pour the marinade over the salmon fillets and cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or preferably more. (up to 4 hours)

While the salmon is marinating, make the Mango Salsa.

Mango Salsa
Ingredients:

• 2 ripe 10-ounce mangos, peeled, pitted, diced (or 3 Honey Ataulfo mangos)

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 2-3 tablespoons chopped sweet Red Pepper, or Cubanelle pepper if available

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano or jalapeño chili

• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
1. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for an hour to allow the flavors to meld.

Cook the Salmon
Preheat your grill to about 400 degrees; if using the oven preheat to 375.
1. Once the grill is at temperature, oil the grates or grill pan if you’re using one.
2. Grill the salmon skin-side down for 5-7 minutes with the grill covered, or until the salmon flakes easily and separates easily from the skin using a spatula.
3. If using the oven, you can use a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup); cook for 10 minutes and check to see if the fish flakes easily using a fork. Depending on the thickness of the fillets, if not done, continue cooking for 3-5 minutes and check.
4. Once the salmon flakes easily, you can brown and caramelize the surface of the salmon under the broiler for a minute or two monitoring carefully so you don’t char it. (optional)

Remove the salmon from heat and serve topped with 1 or 2 spoonfuls of Mango Salsa. Brown or white rice and Sugar Snap peas and/or a green salad accompany this dish well.

*Wine Note:
To complement the sweet-salty richness of the teriyaki salmon and bright freshness of the mango salsa, choose a wine with some body and good fruit, but not so minerally and acidic that it competes with the salsa. I like a Viognier with this dish, or a very dry Riesling might also work. If you prefer a more minerally wine with more acidity, you could try a Sauvignon Blanc, Spanish Albariño or Verdejo, or Italian Vermentino.

Adapted from: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/salmon-with-chili-mango-salsa-103886