Roasted Salmon with Strawberry Salsa
Strawberries are finally in season and they’re amazing. While it’s true that here in Southern California we have strawberries year round, you can absolutely taste the difference between the ones from the greenhouse and those from the farms. The farm berries are just brighter, sweeter, and an all-around better berry. It’s during these months, that I go nuts with strawberry recipes. While they’re usually desserts or cocktails, every so often, I’ll add a savory option.
See, I love a tasty appetizer or dinner. Something comforting and absolutely delicious. Most of the time it’s great all on its own with just the herbs, spices, and salt that the recipe calls for. But every so often, adding a sweet ingredient just levels up the whole dish. See, adding a pop of sweetness really brings out the salt in the dish, just like adding a little salt to a dessert really brings out those sweet flavors. But it’s the tangy strawberries that really make this dish a spring treat! I don’t just top my protein with berries though. No, I followed Tori Avey’s lead and macerated them first in a sauce of balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, and salt.
The pepper, basil and balsamic give the berries a savory bent without taking away those sweet berry flavors. But the best thing about macerating the berries first is that it takes no time and the flavors can meld together in a symphony of awesomeness all in the 15 or so minutes it takes for the fish to cook. There is one thing to keep in mind, though. You want to use a really nice, aged balsamic here, and not that basic $5 balsamic you can buy at the grocery store. I know it sounds strange, but this is where quality is important. You really can tell the difference between a high end balsamic and your basic bottle. And if you’re enjoying a nice dinner, don’t you want it to be the best it possibly can be? So, do yourself a favor and go to an Italian market and splurge on that high end bottle of balsamic. You’ll be happy you did.
Now that my balsamic rant is over, back to the dish at hand. Once you’re done roasting the salmon to a nice, tender flakiness, the strawberries should have started breaking down and combining their sweet tangy flavor with the balsamic, lemon and salt to create a salsa that would be wonderful over chicken or even spooned over a soft cheese on your next cheese board. (You could even enjoy it over cottage cheese for a breakfast.) But don’t wait too long to whip up this dish. Strawberries are only in season until June. Yes, they are available in the stores all year, but there’s no comparison to today’s berries and the ones available next month.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and chopped
- 1-1/2 tablespoons of a high quality balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 salmon filets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and lemon pepper to taste
- 10 basil leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Mix together the first 4 ingredients (through the lemon zest) in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Sprinkle salmon with salt and lemon pepper.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and cook until shimmering. Place salmon in the skillet, skin-side up and let cook for 3-4 minutes. A crust should start to develop on the fish. Transfer skillet to oven. DO NOT flip the salmon, you're going to want that nice crust on top. Roast the salmon for 6-10 minutes depending on the thickness and how well-done you like your fish.
- Once the fish is done, give the berries a stir.
- Plate each piece of fish. Then spoon the berry-mixture on top of the fish. Sprinkle with the chopped basil and serve.
