If you like Mexican-style food and B.C. salmon fillets, today’s recipe should appeal. To prepare it, you start by making two toppings for the fish.
One is a corn salsa that’s made with fresh corn kernels that are lightly charred in a skillet, set in a bowl and cooled. The corn kernels are then flavoured like the cobs of street corn sold by small vendors in Mexico are, with such things as tangy cheese, garlic, cilantro and mayonnaise.
The second topping for the fish is a chipotle chili sauce. Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeño peppers that are sold in cans in the Mexican food aisle of supermarkets.
When minced and added to a tomato-based sauce, they give it a pleasing, mild spicy, smoky taste that’s further enhanced by the honey, oregano and cumin also simmered in it.
The corn salsa and chipotle chili sauce are both very flavourful, which is why I kept the seasoning on the salmon very simple, lightly coating the fish with olive oil, before sprinkling it with salt and pepper.
To cook the fish, I grilled it on my barbecue over medium-high heat.
If you don’t have a barbecue, you could also bake the fish in a hot oven (see the Eric’s options part of the recipe for details on that).
When cooked, the fish is set on individual plates; you could also serve it on a platter. It’s then deliciously topped with the chipotle chili sauce and corn salsa. You could serve the fish with Mexican-style rice or plain steamed rice, slices of ripe avocado and, perhaps, some tortilla chips.
My recipe for the salmon yields four servings, but could be halved, or doubled, if feeding a smaller or larger group.
Note: As noted in previous columns on cooking salmon fillets, keep in mind that those fillets can vary in thickness. So, when determining if they are cooked, remember that when they are, the fish will feel slightly firm, begin to very slightly flake, and a white protein may also seep out from the flakes.
If it’s too soft, the salmon is not cooked through yet.
If the fish is very firm and very dry looking, you’ve overcooked it.
Grilled Salmon with Summer Corn Salsa and Chipotle Chili Sauce
Quick-to-grill salmon fillets are topped with a smoky, Mexican-style chili sauce and a tangy salsa made with late summer corn.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: eight to 11 minutes
Makes: four servings
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, plus some for the grill (divided)
1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels (see Note 1)
1 small garlic clove, minced, or 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp finely crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 Tbsp lime juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup tomato sauce
1 medium to large chipotle pepper, minced (see Note 2)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp honey
3 Tbsp water
4 (5 to 6 oz./140 to 170 gram) sockeye, coho, steelhead or other salmon fillets
• lime slices and cilantro sprigs, for garnish
To make salsa, pour 1 Tbsp olive oil into a large non-stick or cast iron skillet set over medium, medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add corn and cook and stir until lightly charred, about three minutes. Mix in garlic and cook a few seconds more.
Spoon corn into a shallow bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, feta, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate salsa until needed.
To make chipotle chili sauce, combine the tomato sauce, minced chipotle pepper, oregano, cumin, honey and water in a small pot. Set the chipotle chili sauce over medium heat, bring to a simmer and simmer three minutes. Remove pot from the heat and cover.
Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to medium-high (see Eric’s options). Place the 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, in a shallow dish. Add the salmon fillets and turn to coat. Oil the bars of your grill. Set on salmon, skin side up. Grill salmon three to four minutes undisturbed. The salmon should easily release itself from the grill when ready to flip. Cook two to three minutes on the skin side, or until the fish is just cooked through.
While fish cooks, set the chipotle chili sauce over medium-low heat and make warm again.
When fish is cooked, set a piece of it on each of four dinner plates, or arrange it on a platter. Generously top each piece of fish with some chipotle chili sauce, and then some of the corn salsa. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime slices, and enjoy.
Note 1: Two small to medium cobs of corn, after shucking and cutting the kernels off the cob, should yield the amount needed here.
Note 2: Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeño peppers. They are sold in cans in the Mexican foods aisle of supermarkets. Unused peppers can be stored in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for several weeks. Mince and use those peppers in such things as chili, taco and burrito fillings, quesadillas, scrambled eggs, barbecue sauces, stews and anything else you think will benefit from their smoky, mildly spicy taste.
Eric’s options: You could also use an indoor grill to cook the salmon. If you would prefer to bake the salmon, rather than grill it, preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set on the salmon fillets, skin side down. Brush the top of each fillet with 1 tsp olive oil, and then season salmon with salt and pepper. Roast salmon 10 to 12 minutes, or until just cooked through.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
