Spring
Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Rhubarb Salsa
- Serves 4
Author Notes
What can I say, I had some rhubarb leftover from my last couple of posts, and HAD to find something to do with it!
That’s when the method of my madness usually consists of seeing what’s in the fridge and finding some inspiration there. Lo and behold, there was a gorgeous fillet of salmon taking residence in there, and I immediately knew what I wanted to do with it.
We had just entertained guests over the weekend, and my friend Laurel brought mango salsa. I’m telling ya, we lapped that stuff up. Laurel also brought chips for dunking, but I seriously think we could have bellied up to the bowl with a giant straw and been just as happy.
Anyway, back to my standing in front of the fridge with the door hanging open (don’t tell S.O.!). I thought, why not try a strawberry rhubarb version? So I whipped up a batch, starting with a simple fruity/syrupy sauce, and added the usual salsa suspects: cilantro, jalapeño, lime, etc. Then, I slapped the salmon onto a cedar plank (one of my favorite ways to grill salmon) and served it for dinner.
The verdict? S.O. said it would make a nice dessert.
Huh?
Apparently I needed to add a bit more jalapeño and lime to balance out the whole flavor balancing ratio. Once I did, we were good to go: It’s got the sweet; it’s got the tang; it’s got a bit of a snappy thing going on, and it’s perfect for any grilled chicken or fish.
—Sherry K-Jazzy Gourmet
Ingredients
-
2
cedar planks (6 by 14 inches)
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1/4 cup
honey
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2 tablespoons
pineapple juice
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3/4 cup
finely diced rhubarb
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3/4 cup
1 tablespoon diced fresh strawberries, divided -
1
jalapeño pepper, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste, if desired)
-
2 tablespoons
finely chopped red onion
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2 tablespoons
chopped fresh cilantro
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Juice of 1/2 a lime
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4
(6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned and boned
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Soak cedar planks in water for 2 hours.
- In the meantime, combine honey, pineapple juice, rhubarb and ¾ cup strawberries in a medium coated saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until rhubarb is tender and mixture is syrupy, about 7-9 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon strawberries, jalapeño pepper, onion, cilantro and lime juice.
- Rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub each fillet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. “Season” the cedar plank by rubbing oil on it as well.
- Set the grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high (350?- 400? for gas grills). Place the cedar planks on the grill, away from the heat, for a few minutes, until they begin to smoke. Lay the salmon (on what was the skin-side down) on the cedar planks. Be sure to have a spray bottle full of water handy, in case there are any flare-ups with the wood. Cover the grill and cook (without flipping) until the salmon flakes easily, around 15 to 25 minutes, depending on its thickness.
- Spoon salsa over salmon and serve.
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