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.

Pan Seared Mackerel with Fresh Tomato Caper Sauce →

Pan Seared Mackerel with Lemony Tomato Caper Sauce
Serves 4

This is a Scicilian inspired recipe. Mackerel is one of those rich oily fish that should be cooked as fresh as possible. If you're fortunate enough to have a fishmonger who has access to very fresh Spanish Mackerel, you should give this recipe a try. When cooked fresh, there is not a more flavorful yet delicate fish. The tangy fresh tomato, capers, and lemon sauce provides a perfect counterpoint to the fish. Served with a side of roasted potatoes, or spinach ravioli with brown butter and garnished with crispy shiitake, this dish makes a wonderful "primi" for your next big Italian feast, or as a simple main course with a garden salad. Delizioso!

Ingredients:

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

• 4 skin-on Spanish Mackerel fillets about six ounces each

• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes quartered

• 1 tablespoon capers

• 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice (to taste)

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (½ teaspoon dried)

• ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle your fresh fillets with salt and pepper and refrigerate.

2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, combine the rest of the ingredients and saute until the tomatoes just begin to break down. Remove from heat and keep warm while you cook the fish.

3. Add a tablespoon of oil to a clean skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mackerel fillets skin-side up for three minutes. Flip the fillets and cook for another four minutes until the skin is brown and crispy.

4. Plate the fillets individually and top with the reserved tomato-caper sauce.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

*Note: Great served with roasted potatoes or (as pictured) with spinach ravioli and brown butter garnished with crispy shiitake mushrooms, or a green salad.

Wine pairing: White Scicilian wines made from Carricante or Cattarrato grapes; Pinot blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Torrontes, Vermentino, Verdicchio, or Albariño are all good choices. Avoid red wines because they have a metallic taste when paired with mackerel.

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.