We eat salmon on Tuesdays whenever we’re at home. Why? Because a few months ago, I found out from my local grocery store fairy (also known as the saucy Chinese lady who always winks at me with her good eye before placing her hands on my pregnant belly and telling me my baby has a big head) that on Tuesdays, the salmon gets flown in fresh from New Zealand.
Apropo of nothing specific to Malaysia other than the fact that there’s an abundance of pineapple here, I’ve developed a habit of making pineapple salsa to serve with this Kiwi fish. Of course, the local pineapples here are on a whole other taste level from the conventional Doles back home, but that shouldn’t stop you from making this recipe. Just slice up your pineapple and throw it on the grill, letting the heat caramelize the sugar in the pineapple to give you more sweetness and to soften up the fibers in the fruit. Here in KL, I slice my pineapple up and serve it raw, core and all. Yes, the pineapples are so sweet and so tender here that the core is edible, and it amazes me every time.
- 1 to 1 1/2 pound salmon fillet
- 1 pineapple, cored and sliced
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped finely
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or Old Bay
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Rinse salmon fillet under cold tap water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (or 200 degrees Celsius).
- Grill pineapple slices until slightly blackened, then chop finely after cooling for a bit, if desired; otherwise, chop raw pineapple finely.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine pineapple, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, red onion, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine Cajun seasoning, brown sugar and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Rub salmon with olive oil, then rub with spice mix and place on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
- Roast salmon in oven for approximately 15-17 minutes, removing when salmon is starting to flake but is still slightly reddish in center.
- Leave salmon on hot baking sheet for another 3-4 minutes, then gently transfer the salmon to a plate with a spatula.
- Top with pineapple salsa and serve immediately.
Salmon flown in from New Zealand? That’s not very sustainable, Ann “Earth-hater” Hsu. What’s in that styrofoam cup you’re drinking out of? The Earth’s blood?
I know that it’s locavore blasphemy, but hey man, that salmon is good. Now excuse me while I go rescue baby seals to atone for my sins.