Even though the weather hasn’t well and truly warmed up, we’ve been grilling almost every weekend. Burgers and hot dogs, steaks, kebab — all the good stuff. But even the good stuff can get tiring, and after a recent trip to Costco where we bought a two-pound hunk of fish with no real plans for what to do with it, I decided to grill that, too.
But grilling fish — especially a flakier fish, like salmon — can be tricky. Enter: dry brining. My husband, Denis, actually discovered this method via Instagram, and after trying it we decided that the firmer, meatier texture it lends to salmon might actually be preferable for some recipes and cooking methods, especially grilling. Add a beyond-delicious sweet-meets-salty salsa to the mix and a spicy, creamy slaw on the side, and you’ve got yourself a meal that dreams are made of. Just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
Tell me more
Dry brining essentially means pre-salting your food and letting it rest. This draws out the moisture and, in the case of salmon, makes the fish firmer. I’ve dry brined poultry before, but hadn’t heard about it for fish until I came across this Instagram Reel by Dean Sheremet. Dean explains that this technique has been used by Japanese fishermen to preserve their fish, and that sushi chefs then borrowed it with the addition of sugar to add a more pronounced flavor and texture to sashimi. We really loved the result when used on salmon — the fish’s texture became denser and meatier, and the flavor was super fresh and not at all oily, as salmon can sometimes be.
Before we start
This week’s newsletter is three recipes in one — the salmon itself, the mango avocado salsa, and the slaw. The slaw is meant as a side but is also a fantastic topper for the tacos.
No grill? No problem. Follow the same brining instructions then cook your fish on the stove.
My ideal drink with this meal is a frosty, frothy shaken margarita. Combine 2.5 ounces of tequila, one ounce of Cointreau, one ounce of lime juice (and a little agave if you like it on the sweeter side), and shake it till your hands hurt from the cold. Serve in a glass with salt on the rim.
The recipe
Note: recipe videos are posted on my Instagram.
Serves: 4
Cook time: 1 hour (35 minutes active)
Salmon ingredients:
2 lbs salmon, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
Mix together the sugar and salt. Coat each piece of salmon in the sugar and salt mixture, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet or large plate. Let brine for 35-45 minutes in the refrigerator (err on the shorter side if you have thinner pieces of salmon. For pieces that are at least 1” thick, go for the full 45). Remove and rinse in cold water, then pat each piece dry.
Heat your grill to between 450 and 500 degrees. You want the grill to be on the very hot side so the salmon will sear immediately and won’t stick to the grates. Add your salmon pieces, close the grill, and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until fish no longer sticks to the grates (less if your fish is on the thinner side). Because the dry brining technique removes that moisture, you do not want to overcook this.
Slaw ingredients:
1/2 large head of cabbage, thinly sliced/shredded (about 6-7 cups)
1 large or 2 small green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp - 2 tbsp preferred hot sauce, to taste (I used Valentina)
Salt
Mix together all ingredients until cabbage is completely coated in dressing. I do this by throwing it all into a bowl and mixing, but you can definitely whisk up the dressing first if that floats your boat. Taste and adjust for salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Mango Avocado Salsa ingredients:
1 ripe mango, cubed
1 ripe avocado, cubed
2 heaping tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
2 tbsp chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or microplaned
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Mix together all ingredients. Taste and adjust for salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
For serving:
tortillas
limes
Heat your tortillas on the grill using the residual heat from cooking the salmon. Fill each with salmon pieces and top with mango avocado salsa. Serve with slaw on the side. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
Notes
The Thick of It: I find that the dry brining technique works best on thicker pieces of salmon, so opt for fillets that are at least 1”-1.5” thick. If you can only find thinner fillets, that’s no biggie — you’ll just need to shorten the brining and cooking time (instructions in the recipe for that).
Make ahead: Slaw can be made up to a day ahead of time, though the cabbage will get softer the longer it sits. If you like a crunchier slaw, opt to make the dressing ahead of time and mix the slaw it just before serving. Salsa can be made up to 6 hours ahead of time.
Leftovers: The salsa tastes best fresh, but is just fine leftover. For leftover fish, eat it cold — warming it up might make the fish tough. I love to use the leftovers in a little salmon taco salad over a bed of lettuce, with some extra avocado and crushed up tortilla chips added in.
Comments? Questions?
I’m all ears. Leave a comment below or email me at hellosaturdaytable@gmail.com. There’s nothing I love more than chatting with you all!