Monday, May 24, 2010

Chipotle Salmon with Pineapple Cilantro Rice

This is a complete meal originally from Cuisine Tonight. I've modified it here b/c I've discovered through experience that there are shortcuts you can use to make this in 30-40 mins. (The rice also goes really well as a side with any mexican dish.)

For the Salmon:
3 TBSP adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo
3 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 skinless salmon fillets (6 oz. each)

For the Rice:
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 cup long grain rice
1 can crushed pineapple, undrained (15. oz) + 3/4 cup pineapple juice (6 oz.) [ I usually substitute one 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple and adjust with slightly more water ]
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Start with the rice:
1. Prep onion, then saute in butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 3 mins.
2. Stir in rice and saute 1 min more.
3. Add pineapple, pineapple juice, water, salt and sugar.
4. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, 25 mins.

Prep Salmon:
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray.
[ Note: If you happen to have a salmon fillet with skin on, broil for 5 mins first, then cook at 400 degrees. ]
6. Stir adobo sauce, sugar and salt together. [Note: Adobe sauce can be pretty spicy, so tone it down by straining out any pepper seeds before mixing.]
7. Place fillets on pan and brush half of the adobo mixture evenly over the tops, reserve remaining sauce.
8. Bake salmon for 10-15 mins for skin-on, or 15-20 mins for skinless, until opaque all the way through. Brush remaining adobo sauce onto salmon halfway through cooking.

9. When rice is done, fluff with a fork and stir in cilantro. Serve with Salmon.

If you have extra time or you're feeling ambitious, there is a bonus sauce for the rice (but the meal is still really good even without it):
1 cup dry white wine
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP fresh ginger, grated
2 TBSP fresh lime juice
2 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. cornstarch
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced.

10. Combine wine, sugar, ginger and lime juice in a saucepan, boil until reduced to 3/4 cup (7 mins)
11. Blend butter and cornstarch together; whisk into sauce and simmer until thickened (1 min)
12. Stir in scallions and serve over salmon with rice.

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