Roasted Salmon With Chile Minted Cucumbers Recipes

ROASTED SALMON WITH CHILE MINTED CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Combine the cucumber, chile, and mint in a mixing bowl. Pour in the vinegar, sprinkle with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together so the cucumbers are well coated in the vinegar, the cucumbers will soften and the flavors deepen as it sits. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season both sides of the salmon with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the top of the salmon with the sesame seeds.
• Place a cast iron or regular ovenproof skillet on the stove over medium heat. Coat the pan with the oil and when it is nice and hot, lay the salmon in the pan, sesame seed-side down. Sear the salmon for 3 minutes, one side only.
• Remove it from the stovetop and place in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes until it's just cooked through. This results in a medium cooked filet. (Increase the oven time to increase doneness.) Serve the salmon on a pile of the chile minted cucumbers.

GRILLED SALMON SALAD WITH LIME, CHILES AND HERBS

Steps:

• Light the grill for indirect heat, or heat the oven to 450 degrees.
• As the grill or oven heat up, make the dressing: Halve 1 lime, and squeeze its juice into a small bowl. Add the chile slices, half of the sliced shallot (save the rest for serving), the fish sauce and a pinch each salt and sugar. Let sit for 1 minute to dissolve the salt, then whisk in the olive oil. It won't emulsify, so mix again before using.
• Brush the salmon with oil, and place it in a grilling basket if you have one. Cook over the indirect (unlit) side of the grill, for 2 to 5 minutes per side, depending on how hot the grill is and how thick the salmon is. Note that individual fillets will cook faster than a single large piece. Check the salmon often. (Alternatively, roast the salmon on a baking sheet in the oven, until just cooked to taste, 7 to 12 minutes; you don't have to flip it.)
• As the salmon cooks, halve the other lime. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and grill, cut-side down, over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute. If using the oven, throw the halves, cut-side up, on the roasting pan with the salmon. They won't char, but they will cook and mellow in flavor, which is the aim.
• When the salmon is cooked, transfer it to a plate and spoon some dressing over it. Let it cool slightly, then break up the fish into large chunks.
• Place greens, remaining shallots, herbs, and radishes or cucumber, if using, in a large shallow bowl or on a platter, and add a little more of the dressing. Squeeze some of the juice from a charred lime half over it and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss and taste, adding lime juice, olive oil or salt as needed.
• Top with the salmon chunks and drizzle with more (or all) of the dressing. Serve with the remaining charred lime half on the side for squeezing.

BROILED SALMON WITH CHILE, ORANGE AND MINT

Steps:

• Turn on the broiler and position the oven rack to sit about 6 inches below it.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add red-pepper flakes, and cook for about 1 minute. Remove butter from heat, and stir in orange zest and 2 tablespoons mint. Set aside.
• Season salmon well with salt and pepper and place skin-side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Spoon butter mixture evenly over the top of each fillet.
• Broil salmon for 4 to 6 minutes until the skin becomes opaque and the fish appears flaky. It should be medium-rare in the thickest part of the fillet. If you prefer your salmon a bit more cooked, leave it in for another minute or so, moving it to a lower rack if the tops get too dark. Serve, and scatter with remaining mint. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

SALMON WITH CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• For sauce, in a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Refrigerate until serving. Broil salmon 4-6 in. from the heat for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with cucumber sauce.