Shall we talk salmon friends? Well let’s begin with my inspiration for how this delicious bowl made it’s way to My Table…Can you believe that a craving for the fresh, bold flavors of an entree similar to this nearly saved my life? What now seems like a lifetime ago, pre-pandemic, my husband and I would treat ourselves to a nice dinner and a cocktail to wrap up a busy week. We have a few restaurants near us that seem to always be at the top of our list and we usually make our final decision about the “where” when we come to a literal fork in the road near our house. One goes towards ribs, chicken wings, jambalaya for him, salmon for me…the other path leads us to steak for him and well,…salmon for me. As we approached the three way stop and my dear husband said, “What will it be?” I chose salmon and he said, “Well steak sounds good to me,” so we veered to the right where both of our culinary wishes would be granted, and just as we did, a car sped through the stop sign, across the intersection and ended up off the road on the other side! I reached across the console of his truck, placed a death grip on his arm and we both just looked at each other, barely breathing, realizing what just nearly happened. Friends, if tangy mango salsa, perfectly cooked seafood and a watermelon martini hadn’t been calling my name, we would have found ourselves t-boned by that speeding car!
So, since the pandemic keeps us away from our weekly date night dining out, I decided to bring these amazing flavor combinations home. The original form of this dish featured seared ahi tuna, which is delicious, but I got a little squirmy about medium rare fish and substituted salmon and it turned out to be even better! So when you hear salmon, what comes to mind for you? “Tastes fishy…sockeye or Atlantic?…Dry…Never tastes good at home.” Well, I love salmon and all of those thoughts have crossed my mind. I want to ease your inner salmon saga and share with you a way to create a perfectly cooked piece of salmon every time that will become a new family favorite.
Salmon Bowl
Note: Selecting Salmon Filets- For a mild taste, I prefer Atlantic salmon. Look for center cut, skinless filets that are nearly equal in size-about 1 inch thick in the center. I found the perfect size filets at my local Trader Joes, but I did have to remove the skin myself. (Using a sharp knife-place filet on a secure surface, skin side up, and hold a knife parallel to the fish-cutting away from you- Starting at a corner, use gentle pressure and pull on skin as you glide the knife and it should come off pretty easily.) Trim away any visible fat from the pink flesh. You can also ask your fish monger/butcher to remove the skin if available.
Ingredients
- 2-8oz Atlantic salmon filets-center cut, skinless
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- Kosher salt/Pepper
- 1 avocado-sliced
- 1-1 1/2 cups of prepared Jasmine rice*
- Mango Salsa
- 1 mango-peeled and diced
- 2 Tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro
- 3 Tbsp red onion chopped or 1 large shallot
- 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- Bottled sweet chili sauce
- *Make it easy...Look for a bag of jasmine rice in your freezer section. Love Trader Joes! Pop it in the microwave just before you assemble your bowls.
Directions
- Step 1 Combine mango, cilantro, onion and vinegar in small bowl and refrigerate while preparing the salmon.
- Step 2 Prepare rice according to package instructions. *See note.
- Step 3 Season both sides of salmon filets with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Healthy pinch on each side is about 1/8-1/4 tsp total for both filets.
- Step 4 Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over high heat until just shimmering.
- Step 5 Add salmon filets, skinned side down-at least 2 inches apart.
- Step 6 After about 30 seconds, reduce heat to medium-high. Do not disturb the filets and continue cooking for about 4 minutes. Turn over and continue to cook, undisturbed for about 3-3 1/2 minutes. Salmon should have a nice crust on both sides and be light pink on the sides. Filet will be mostly firm, but yield slightly with gentle pressure.
- Step 7 Place on a plate and cover loosely with foil while you prepare your bowls.
- Step 8 Assemble bowls to your preference. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on sliced avocado and serve with the sweet chili sauce on the side. Make sure to take a bite with all of the flavor elements in one bite. So good!
This was sooo good! Thanks for sharing.