FRIDAY FISH: Sweet Chili Salmon with Black Bean Pasta Salad + Ideas About How to Make it Into a Dinner Party

/ More Time at the Table

No Sweet Chili Thai sauce here, you create these flavors with chili powder and brown sugar.

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Coming up on the 16th anniversary of my blog (May, 2024- YAY!), I know and maybe you know, too, there are mostly original recipes here. I also know there’s nothing new under heaven, so it’s your guess how many of my dishes first existed elsewhere. I often, though not always, don’t want to know if someone else has come up with it before me. I’m happy in la la land, thinking I made it up, imagining I have a little creative bone of some sort in my body–and I do. But this doesn’t stop me from happily cooking or especially baking dishes others have perfected before me. (Why reinvent every wheel?) Both of the recipes featured in today’s FRIDAY FISH are happily-credited adaptations from other fine cook-writers (see recipe headnotes–which is where you should see credit to other cooks and writers or books) and luscious they are together. I wanted a different flavoring for salmon and thought, “Chili.” Author Andie Mitchell had already figured it out and thank you to her! I also knew my May, 2023 Black Bean Pasta Salad would be the perfect companion for a southwestern-flavored fish. When I needed a black bean salad for 50 last spring for my friend Sylvie’s high school graduation, blogger Cookie and Kate had a solid, flavor-full basic idea I only needed to embroider and enlarge. Together, the two recipes are all you want for dinner…and the salad leftovers could be lunch for a couple of days. Double win. Should you, however, want more, I include ideas for appetizers, wine, and dessert for a dinner party or special occasion. (See just below the recipes.)

Made in a stovetop grill pan, you could also use a large, heavy skillet or the gas/charcoal grill.

Even the next morning, husband Dave kept saying, “Did I tell you how good dinner was last night?” Now on my rotation list for anytime of year–but how ideal for summer– Sweet Chili Salmon with Black Bean Pasta Salad could be on yours when you try this:

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SWEET CHILI SALMON

This easy fish dish is not really sweet nor terribly chili-ish but just the right combination of both. I liked the idea of pairing my Black Bean Pasta salad with some salmon flavored with chili powder and when I googled “chili and salmon,” a plethora of ideas emerged. I based this on a fine recipe from the blog A BEAUTIFUL PLATE and blogger Laura Davidson got the recipe from Andie Mitchell’s book, EATING IN THE MIDDLE. With a couple of twists and shortening of the name, I’m happy to share it yet further. Who knows what you’ll do with it next?! While I made the fish in a stovetop grill pan, it could easily be made on a plancha or in a cast iron skillet on an outdoor grill.

Ingredients

LIME CREMA:

  • ½ cup sour cream
  • Zest of half lime-use rest for garnish
  • Juice of one lime- or more to taste
  • Dash of hot sauce
  • Pinch each salt and pepper

SALMON:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon EACH: brown sugar and chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper, plus extra for garnish
  • Pinch ground cayenne pepper or more to taste
  • 4 (3-5 oz) center-cut salmon fillets with skin

Instructions

MAKE THE CREMA:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the crema ingredients and set side. (The original calls for avocado; use ½ avocado in place of half the sour cream if you’d like. I tried it both ways and liked the Lime Crema better.)

GRILL THE SALMON:

  • Mix the brown sugar, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small cup. Set aside.
  • Heat a stovetop grill pan (or large heavy skillet) over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle olive oil in a zig zag pattern in the general shape of one salmon fillet; repeat for the other three, leaving a little space between them. Heat another minute.
  • Meanwhile, pat the salmon fillets dry on both sides with paper towels. Dividing it evenly, sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the fleshy sides of the fillets (not on the skin side).
  • Lay the fillets skin side down on the grill pan on each outline of oil and cook without moving for 4 minutes. Carefully turn each fillet over using tongs and cook another 3 minutes or 4 minutes depending on the weight of the fish. The salmon should be just firm but still moist at the center. (FDA indicates 145F for fish. I like medium to medium-rare salmon, so I’d take them off at 125F and let them come up a little as they rest.)
  • Remove from grill and let rest a minute or two. You can drizzle pan juices over the fish if you like. Top fillets with a dollop of Lime Crema, a grate or two of lime zest, and some black pepper. Serve with Black Bean Pasta Salad. (Store leftovers well-wrapped in the refrigerator 3 days. Do not freeze.)

Notes

Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2024. All rights reserved.

Want to cook the salmon outdoors on a charcoal or gas grill? Read up here./FOOD NETWORK

Recommended Temperatures for Seafood/THERMOWORKS

Original More Time Post for this salad here.
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Black Bean Pasta Salad

The quintessential and almost too easy black bean and corn salad moves uptown here with the addition of whole wheat orzo (cook/cool the pasta before you start) and some sautéed asparagus. All the usual suspects are invited but you’re welcome to add crumbled cotija or grated Cheddar cheese, diced avocados or mangos, or even grilled shrimp or chicken breast chunks (on skewers across the top) should you need a new hot weather meaty entrée. Now that’s something I DO need! Want more servings for your party? This recipe doubles, triples, or even quintuples easily. Want less servings? Cut in half. Recipe adapted gratefully from COOKIE AND KATE.
10 (1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (I like Bush’s beans.)
  • 1 cup corn, frozen/thawed or the kernels sliced off from 2 ears grilled
  • ½ cup EACH: diced yellow or orange bell pepper and quartered cherry tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • 1 cup EACH: sautéed asparagus cut into half-inch pieces and cooked whole wheat orzo (You'll need to cook 1/2 cup dry orzo to get a cup of cooked orzo. Follow package directions.)
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus extra leaves for garnish
  • 1 mild medium-sized jalapeño minced- no membranes or seeds – or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon lime zest (zest of one lime— zest before juicing)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice-plus a quartered lime for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons EACH: extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar –or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin—or to taste
  • 3-4 drops Tabasco—or to taste
  • OPTIONAL GARNISH: sliced green onions, green part only
  • OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese or grated Cheddar, 1 large diced ripe avocado or mango

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the garnishes, which are lime wedges, cilantro leaves, and optional sliced green onions (green parts only). Taste and adjust seasonings including lime juice and red wine vinegar.
    Serve right away or chill for two hours before garnishing and serving. Prettiest and tastiest the day it's made, the salad can be made ahead a day if needed. Even if serving the same day, you may want to add tomatoes, avocados, or mangos – if using– at the last minute. If serving the next day, do freshen the seasonings (salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, etc.) and squeeze in a little more lime or add some red wine vinegar to wake up the flavors. Another option is to do the chopping a day ahead, storing ingredients separately, and then stirring the salad together when it's needed. Store for two-three days in the fridge but do not freeze.

Notes

Cook’s Notes: I like whole wheat pasta for its nutritional value but whole wheat orzo can be hard to find; I had to order it. White orzo will work perfectly well. Rice is another option and will then make this salad Gluten Free. As long as you haven’t added cheese or shrimp, it’s vegan as well, which makes it a very welcome addition to the picnic table.
About the seasonings… I like things  just little spicy and find this exactly right. I do not eat hot food. If you’re unsure, add a little of the jalapeño and Tabasco at a time to see what you think. The salad needs a little heat to perk it up. Most jalapeños are not terribly hot, but occasionally there’s one that’ll make a liar out of me. An option is to use minced poblanos or green bell peppers and to limit the heat factor to the drops of Tabasco.  You can leave the Tabasco on the table for those with fiery appetites.
Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2023. All rights reserved

NOTE: Having made this several times since this recipe was written, I’ll now add I think it holds up very well for leftovers though I would still make it the day I was serving it for guests to maintain best color.

I occasionally make these “recipes in a photo” for social media but they’re fun to include here, too.
Leftovers? Add greens, diced ham and cheese, or? Do include a splash of lime juice or red wine vinegar to refresh. Maybe salt and pepper, too.
Doubles or even triples easily for a crowd.

“No one grows old at the table.” (Italian proverb)………..

FRIENDS COMING FOR DINNER? Here are some ideas for filling out the menu for a casual dinner party:

Wine: If you want a red wine for the main course…lovely with salmon…choose a Syrah (not a blend), which is perfect for dishes with a little spice. Pinot Noir is the quintessential red for this fish, but the Syrah pairs better with the prep. Rather stay with white? You might try a dry or half-dry Riesling or even a Grüner Veltliner, which also works well with spice. Mexican beer is another happy thought –if you’re a beer person, that is. Want wines for all three courses? Choose a Gruet sparkling wine from NM for the appetizer and a Cognac or Armagnac for the dessert.

Appetizer needed? Whip up my Shrimp-Green Chile Pimento Cheese. Can be done a day ahead.

Bread? Since there’s whole wheat orzo in the salad, I’d be tempted to skip bread. For those for whom dinner is not dinner without it, think cornmeal muffins or maybe whole wheat tortillas warmed in the oven.

Dessert? Flan is the answer! Here’s a lovely recipe. I bake this in a bain marie (water bath). Can be done a day or two ahead. Flan keeps quite well, as do most custards.

Not a great photo, but you get the idea.

If you liked this, you might also like my:

LIFE GOES ON:

Sylvie, of the Black Bean Pasta Salad graduation party fame, returned last Sunday to sing at church. Love seeing her.

5 months after a sewer back-up, we are finally moving back into the lower level of our house. The bathroom’s not done yet, but soon!
Fire season already here in Colorado. This taken from our eastern deck on Sunday, 3/10/24, showing smoke from a fire just east of the Colorado Springs Airport. (Update: fire contained by evening/apparently started by a dragging trailer chain)

Thanks for keeping me company in my kitchen; you are much appreciated!

Keep fishing!

Alyce

Favorite granddaughter, Piper, with her grandma!

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