Peach Salsa with Grilled Wild Salmon

This fresh fruit salsa isn't what you expect.

It's full of Thai flavors: ginger, cilantro, scallion, chili and lime juice. They all work well with the peaches, which are seasonably sweet and juicy at the moment, and the wild salmon. But this salsa would also be a great condiment for other seafood dishes, chicken, duck, pork, tofu or organic whole grain corn chips.

I left the seeds in the chili pepper because I like my salsa spicy. If you prefer a more mild version, remove the seeds and membranes from the chili before you slice it.

1 large ripe peach, pitted and chopped into a small dice
3/4 tsp grated fresh ginger, or more to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 red Thai chili pepper, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice, about 1 lime
Sea salt
1 lb wild salmon fillets or steaks at room temperature, cut into 4 to 6 oz portions
Extra virgin olive oil, first cold pressing

Add the peach, ginger, cilantro, scallion, chili, lime juice and a pinch of sea salt to a medium bowl. Toss to combine, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Set the salsa aside to allow the flavors to fully develop, up to 2 hours at room temperature or longer in the fridge, covered, until ready to eat.

Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Brush the salmon on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the pieces of fish on the grill and cook until grill marks appear, about 4 to 5 minutes.

If using a grill pan, flip the salmon over, turn off the heat and allow it to finish cooking with residual heat.

If using an outdoor grill, flip the salmon over and place it on a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking.

After a few more minutes, when the salmon pieces are firm in the center, transfer them to a plate and serve immediately, with the peach salsa. Do not overcook.

Comments