When it comes to salmon, what’s not to like about this delicious mild tasting fish? This moist, buttery fish is compatible with pretty much any flavors. Just like what I did with my tuna steaks, when I want flavor rich dish that’s easy to prep, I turned to a marinade to cook my salmon. Spicy salsa and cucumber asazuke completes this easy, healthy salmon meal.

Tableware

I’m using my serving platter and dinner plates made in Portugal from Sur La Table. I was drawn to the pink scalloped edges, with pink, blue and yellow flowers painted on them. I really love Portuguese pottery with vibrant colors, but these plates with soft colors enhance the colors of your food.

Tulip etched glass bowls were purchased from Pier 1 and every time I use this I forget and think I bought them in Japan. They remind me very much of glass noodle bowls used in Japan in the summer time, but in this case I thought they would look great for my salsa and cucumbers.

Using Old Bay Seasoning and Dill

I originally wanted to season my salmon with Cajun spice mix but realized that I had ran out, so I grabbed a can of Old Bay Seasoning as a substitute. Old Bay is not exactly the same as Cajun spice; spices used are similar but Old Bay is less spicy. For each salmon fillet, I used one tablespoon of this spice mix and sprinkled both sides of the fish.

I also included plenty of fresh dill to the marinade because dill and salmon are always meant to be together. I use herbs liberally and used 4-5 small sprigs of dill per fillet.

When your fish has been properly seasoned, take a sealable plastic bag and pour olive oil inside the bag. As you put your fillets in the bag, make sure they get a nice coating of olive oil. To add your sprigs of dill, lay your fillets flat in the bag, then place your dill on top of each fillet. You don’t need to cover both sides of salmon with dill, just one side will do. You can then pop the bag in the fridge and le it marinate for 3 hours.

Cucumber Asazuke

While your salmon is marinating in your fridge, you can make cucumber asazuke. Asazuke is a Japanese quick pickling method used to make pickled vegetables in a short time. Compared to traditional fermented pickles, which can take weeks to be ready, it can be ready in an hour or two. You prepare it with salt, kelp and Japanese dried chili peppers or you can use commercially available pickling solutions.

I made mine very simple with sliced cucumbers, salt, dried Japanese chili peppers and sugar. Everything was placed in a sealable plastic bag and was ready in an hour. In case you’re wondering, these pickles are not sour and dried chili peppers only add just a small amount of spice. My asazuke came out more like sweet, crunchy cucumber salad and had cooling effect against the spicy salsa.

Spicy Salsa

This is different than your typical salsa; I don’t add cilantros. If you’re like me and have a hard time with cilantros in your salsa, use other herbs instead. I used Italian parsley and shiso leaves that worked out great. I like to use shiso leaves because its basil like flavors compliment fish dishes. If you can’t find shiso leaves, just use chopped parsley.

What I like very much is spicy flavors so I used smoked chipotle and as if that wasn’t enough added some Fresno chilies which I love. If you don’t want double dose of spicy chilies, you can omit the Fresno. I recommend you add the smoked chipotle though because the chilies and adobo sauce adds just the right amount of smokiness to your salsa.

Grilling Salmon

I grilled my salmon using my outside grill just like I did with my grilled tuna. This time there’s no need for extra olive oil to grill the salmon. Salmon has been infused with enough olive oil in the marinade, so there’s no need for additional oil. If your fillets came with skin, like mine did, you want to set your salmon flesh side down first and after four minutes, turn over and grill the side with skin.

I served my salmon on a bed of fresh Japanese mustard greens (Mizuna) but any other leafy greens will do if Mizuna is not available in your area. When everything was served on a plate, I realized this is like eating one big, wonderful plate of grilled salmon salad.

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