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Summer Salmon & Corn Relish with Spicy Basil Vinaigrette
This recipe is from Sunset Magazine and was originally from Chandler's Crabhouse in Seattle.

Servings: 4

Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 wild salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
  • 10 cups salad mix, like Spring Mix or a mix of baby lettuce and spinach
  • 2 large heirloom tomatoes sliced, or a pint of multi-color mini tomatoes
  •  
  • subheading: For marinade & vinaigrette:
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon red chili paste, Thai or Vietnamese (I usually buy either Huy Fong or Lee Kum Kee brand Chili Garlic Sauce.)
  • ⅓ to ½ cup olive oil
  •  
  • subheading: For corn relish:
  • 3 cups corn kernels, cooked fresh or frozen (Fresh=4 ears cooked)
  • ½ cup diced green bell pepper
  • ½ cup diced red bell pepper
  • ½ cup diced jicama
  • ⅓ cup sliced kalamata olives
  • ½ cup diced red onion
Steps
  1. Prepare basil vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, combine balsamic and red wine vinegars, basil, garlic, tarragon, and red chili paste. With blender or food processor on, slowly add olive oil, ⅓ to ½ cup until mixture emulsifies. Chill until ready to use, up to 2 days.
  2. Marinate salmon: Rinse fillets and pat dry. You can leave the skin on or remove skin at this point. I usually leave it on and remove it after grilling along with the dark gray fat layer. Place in a glass dish or ziplock bag. Pour ½ to ¾ cup vinaigrette over fillets, making sure to cover the flesh side. Chill one hour or up until next day, flipping occasionally.
  3. Prepare corn relish (up to 4 hours before serving): Cook the fresh corn on the grill or smoker, if you have time, letting some of the kernels get bit charred. A good stand-in is Trader Joe's frozen Fire Roasted Corn. Combine corn, bell peppers, black olives, and onion. Stir in ⅓ cup vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to serve.
  4. Grill or smoke salmon: Preheat grill or Traeger to 400°. Sear flesh side down for about 5 minutes to get grill marks. Flip to skin side down and continue cooking until the center is opaque but still moist, about 12 to 16 minutes total. With the Traeger, I step the heat down to 225° for an extra few minutes to get a little more smoke flavor.
  5. To serve: Toss salad greens with some of the remaining vinaigrette, adding salt and pepper to taste. Divide the salad among four plates with a scoop of corn relish and tomatoes on the side. Remove skin and gray fat from the warm fillets and place on top of the greens. Pass the extra vinaigrette or save for another use.
Notes
  • This recipe is also wonderful with chicken breasts, and I'll bet would be delicious with pork tenderloin. For chicken or pork, I would let it marinate overnight. With salmon, I buy it the day I cook it and put it in the marinade in the morning. I usually double the corn relish and vinaigrette. It's delicious for a couple of days.
 

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