Jalapeno, Cumin and Lime rubbed Salmon

Lime, cumin and jalapeno make an enchanting combination. The threesome blend, and infuse the fish with this refreshing but mildly smokey flavor that I so love.

I am going through that phase of trying to do a little bit more around the house and outside The weather is gorgeous now,  which means the heart desires to be more on a walk than in the kitchen.  The days are also getting shorter. And as always during this time of the year, I have too much on my plate to manage!

Besides I think we have had enough gluttony over Thanksgiving! Didn’t you? Now time to go easy and light before we jump into some more.

This is one of those quick but very satisfying meals; it requires only a few ingredients, and takes only a few minutes to put together. Throw in some salads, or fruits or grains and you have yourself a quick but healthy meal.

Besides just rubbing in the fish steaks with the trio, there are some minute things going on here. The tiny pieces of jalapeno gets fried in the process of cooking and adds an extra level of  flavor and little bites which was unexpected but really nice. The leftover oil gets beautifully flavored too which may be drizzled over the cooked fish.

Lets head over to the recipe.

Jalapeno, Cumin and Lime rubbed Salmon

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1. 2 small salmon steaks, pref. wild – with or without skin, as you like it
   
2. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice + more for to drizzle over the cooked fish
   
3. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
4. 1 teaspoon lime zest
   
5. 2 jalapeno peppers, minced (if you do not want it too spicy, remove the seeds and the membranes inside)
6. salt to taste
   
7. 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon olive oil
8. 1 -2 jalapeno pepper, very thinly sliced
   
9. crushed pepper for garnish if you want
10. wild greens or any green or salad or grains to serve it with

Preparation:

If you want to remove the seeds and membranes of the jalapeno peppers, I find it easiest to cut the stem end and core them out. Since the jalapenos are wider than a lot of other peppers, it is easy to core them and clean them out without having your hands burn.

Combine lime juice, minced jalapeno peppers, cumin, zest, salt and 1 teaspoon oil and bruise them all together in a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Rub the salmon steaks with this mix and let it sit for about an hour.

Heat the rest of the oil in a pan. Place the marinated salmon steaks in the pan and cook each side at medium heat for about 4 minutes, or until the side starts to brown. Turn the steaks around and cook the other side in a similar way.

Remove the salmon steaks, and in the same pan place the sliced jalapenos and cook at high heat for a couple of minutes until they soften slightly and but still green. Remove from the pan and top off the steaks with the wilted pepper slices.

Drizzle some fresh lime juice and garnish with crushed red pepper if you want.




Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Difficulty Level: Easy

Serve with salad or grains or both.

Related Posts:

Salmon Patties

Tandoori Fish

Maacher Jhal – Fish in Spicy Sauce