Yesterday at the supermarket, we were picking up our weekly groceries, and the fresh, wild sockeye salmon immediately caught my eye in the seafood case. The brilliant red flesh of this fish stood out againt the background of precooked shrimp and unremarkable white fillets - perfect inspiration for a light summertime meal.
Right now, the markets are full of wild Pacific salmon from the annual early summer harvests. The difference in appearance and taste of this salmon is obvious when compared to farmed salmon. The wild salmon fillets are deep, dark crimson, and the flavor is pronounced with almost a lobster-like natural sweetness.
Keeping with the spirit of the season, I prepared the salmon in a very simple manner and topped the cooked fillets with a corn and tomato "relish" containing three of my favorite summer ingredients - sweet corn, grape tomatoes and basil. With a loaf of crusty artisan bread and a bottle of slightly chilled red wine, this light meal was a perfect complement to the blazing Arizona heat outside the door.
Roasted Sockeye Salmon with Tomato and Corn Relish
2, 6-ounce fillets of wild sockeye salmon, skin intact.
1 t seafood seasoning, preferably Old Bay
2 T unsalted butter
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Relish:
1 ear yellow or white sweet corn, shucked
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut into thirds
1/4 cup roughly chopped basil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Prepare relish:
Immerse corn in boiling water for 5 minutes. Immediately remove the corn and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When the corn is cool, slice the kernels off the cob into a bowl. Add the grape tomatoes and chopped basil. Season with a small amount of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 450 F. In a microwave, melt the butter in a glass container and pour onto the middle portion of a foil-lined baking sheet. Rinse the salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Season each piece generously with seafood seasoning, salt and pepper. Place the salmon fillet side down on the butter in the baking sheet.
Roast salmon for 6 minutes and then turn the fillets over with a spatula. Roast 5 to 6 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The salmon should barely flake when pierced with a fork. Avoid overcooking the fish.
Place each fillet of salmon on a dinner plate, and top with a generous portion of the relish.
Serves: 2
Blogger's Note: As many of you are aware, I have been on a nearly 4-month hiatus from blogging due to an illness. I am happy to say that I am back to blogging and look forward to writing many more inspiring posts about food and wine. Thank you to everyone for your concern and well wishes!
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