We have hardly had a winter in South Texas this year. In fact, it’s been more spring-like than winter-like weather. Plus, we have enjoyed lots of rainy days and everything is verdant.
This reality means that determining what to cook has proven challenging. It’s not cold enough for stews and soups, but neither is it salad weather. Needless to say, my palate has not been inspired. Nor has David’s. We have just been moving along, eating to eat as opposed to cooking and eating with intensity, which is why I have been uninspired to share anything with you as of late…
Though when we went to Groomer’s Seafood last Saturday and came across chinook salmon, I knew that this would be something to talk about. The omega-3’s in salmon are intense and chinook is one of the best salmons you can find. And one of the most expensive with a short fishing season. So we figured we would enjoy it while we could.
We prepared this salmon using a Bobby Flay recipe from his Grill It! cookbook. Bobby’s recipes are a great match to our cooking style in that he uses fresh ingredients, blends a variety of bold flavors and prepares everything very simply. You can make any Flay recipe in a short time and people will think you slaved in the kitchen for hours.
Buen provecho!
Grilled Salmon with Oregano Oil, Avocado-Tzaziki Sauce and Grilled Lemons
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons (reserve for lemons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
- Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 salmon fillets 6 ounces each
- 2 lemons halved
Avocado Tzatziki
- 2 ripe Haas avocados peeled, pitted and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 serrano chile stem removed and chopped, keep or discard the seeds
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1/4 English cucumber finely diced or 1/2 cucumber, seeds removed and finely diced
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
To make the herb olive oil:
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In a blender, combine the olive oil and the oregano and blend until smooth. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour oil in a bowl and set aside.
To make the avocado-tzaziki:
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Put the avocados, garlic, serrano, yogurt, lemon zest and juice in the bowl of the food processor and process until smooth. If mixture is too thick or chunky, add a touch more yogurt and.or lemon juice so mixture processes thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
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Add the cucumbers and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.
To grill the salmon:
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When you are ready, fire up the grill and get it nice and hot. Brush both sides of the salmon filets with the oregano oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon for about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. You want it to char and cook to medium. Brush with salmon with more oil while cooking.
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While the fish is cooking, brush the cut side of the lemons with the reserved 2 tablespoons of olive oil and grill, cut side down, until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes.
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Serve the filets with a generous dollop of avocado-tzatziki and squeeze the juice from the grilled lemons on top.
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