Some Like It Hot

At my house, we eat meat.  My husband would contest that it is not a meal without meat.  Like most Alaskans, that meat is frequently salmon. When we first moved here, we ate LOTS of salmon.  Baked, grilled, poached, smoked.  Salmon, salmon, salmon.  I went from a salmon craving North Dakotan who ordered it any chance I got to utter disappointment that I had to eat salmon . . . again. 

I have since reached a place of salmon homeostasis.  About once a week we pull out a fillet and serve it up.  My go-to recipe, baked or grilled salmon with dill, EVOO, and S&P.  Add a dollop of greek yogurt and voila!  Hot or cold, this is delicious.  However, the key, as with any food, is to mix it up.  Salmon and sriracha, yes please!

Here is what you will need: red salmon fillet, sriracha (has to have the rooster on it!), paprika, cayenne pepper, jalapeno tabasco, and S&P.  I am serving my salmon with a acorn squash puree but I'll address that later. 

**WARNING**  This recipe is for people who like it hot.  If you are a weany when it comes to spicy, go with the dill combo mentioned above.  Not sure?  Taste a little sriracha.  If you can't handle a pea-sized amount, walk away!   This is lip burning, nose running spicy.

Start with a clean red salmon fillet.  You can use other types of salmon but I am a snobby Alaskan and I only eat reds :)  Lightly dry the fillet with a paper towel.  Leave the skin on the fillet.  If it comes without the skin, make sure to oil the side that will be touching the pan with a generous amount of EVOO.  Place the fillet in your baking dish.  I use tin foil to avoid cleaning but you can put it directly in an oiled dish.  Squeeze a generous amount of sriracha on the fish and spread to cover the entire fillet.  Sprinkle with paprika and cayenne powder to taste.  Add S&P and then dab jalapeno tabasco over the fillet.  I like the flavor of the jalapeno tabasco but you could use regular tabasco.  The end product should look like this.

Cover the dish with tin foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  If you have a thinner fillet, cut the cooking time down to 15 minutes and then check the fish.  It should be cooked through at the thickest point in the fillet.  Don't cook the fish too long or you will end up with a dry product.  It should look similar to this.  Set the fish off to the side.

Now for our acorn squash puree.  Squash is big in the fall and is always a delicious side for any course.  I chose acorn squash but you could also use butternut, buttercup, carnival squash or pumpkin.  Put the squash on a paper towel in the microwave and cook for 5 minutes at a time, rotating until soft on all sides (about 20-25 minutes total).  Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and then scoop the squash meat into a bowl.  Discard the skin and seeds.  Add butter, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper to squash.  There is no particular amount.  Just remember, you can always add more later if needed but once it is in there, there is no going back!  The cayenne pepper is optional for those who don't want it spicy. 

At this point, you can stir and serve or use a immersion (or regular) blender on the mixture to achieve a creamier texture.  Squeeze a little lemon over the salmon and serve it on a bed of squash puree.  Mmmm mmmm good!

Add some spice to your plate tonight!

Alaska Fun Facts: Most of America's salmon, crab, halibut, and herring come from Alaska.