Simple Salmon

Went a-sizzling

On a recent soggy trip to the Tremont Farmer's Market, we stumbled upon a few nifty ingredients: habanero cheese, chipotle olive oil, and apple balsamic vinegar.

In contrast, the weather over the weekend was mostly clear, in the 50s - 60s, with a stray thunderstorm to break up the monotony. Salad and grilled salmon would hit the spot for lunch.

Quick, delicious, and filling, when isn't it an ideal time for salad and grilled salmon?

Wild caught salmon was this week's Cook and Tell challenge at Serious Eats.

On a grill pan, the salmon, sprinkled with coarse ground black pepper, sizzled under Bug's watchful eye, while I prepared the salad -- spring mix, portobello mushrooms, strawberries, almonds, black pepper, cayenne, and grated habanero cheese.

The dressing was a simple mix of The Olive Tap's chipotle olive oil and red apple balsamic oil, slightly sweet with a mellow smoky flavor followed by a mild zing.

After the salmon filets were set aside, covered, for a few minutes to cook mostly through, they were transferred to plates with a few turns of the pepper mill, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and a drizzle of shoyu atop the fish.

The meal took less than 30 minutes to prepare. As a result, we were able to enjoy more time outside.

I later polished off the entire batch of smoky, crispy salmon skin with a little shoyu and furikake over quinoa. As much as I prefer grilled salmon steaks, my favorite part is the salmon skin. In that regard, filets win with its greater surface area of skin.

Ahh, the joys of salmon.

- Cassaendra