Micki Eats (mostly gluten and dairy free)

I’m usually rather indifferent to salmon. I eat it, but will gladly choose other fish before it. This recipe, however, is one of the few ways I really enjoy salmon. In particular, the lime flavors in the marinade and butter pair very well with Pinot Gris–especially ones from Oregon.
Ingredients

• 4 Salmon Filet
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil
• 1 poblano chili
• 4 teaspoons of unsalted butter
• 2 more teaspoons of lime juice
• 1 teaspoon of minced chives

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, worcestershire, lime juice (2 tbsp), and sesame oil.
2. Place the fish skin side down in a glass dish, cover with the soy marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and roast the chili for 45 minutes.
4. When you remove the chili from the oven, place it in a paper bag for 15 minutes to cool. Peel (after cooling, the outside skin should just rub off), seed, and mince.
5. In a food processor or blender, place the butter, lime juice (2 tsp), chives, and 1 tablespoon of the minced chili. Blend for about 30 seconds until it is well combined.
6. Remove the butter mixture from the blender/process and place into a ball on waxed paper. Gently form a small log and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Heat the oven to 425 degrees and bake the salmon for 10-12 minutes (10 is more medium rare, 12 is more medium doneness).
8. As soon as the salmon is removed from the oven, top with a generous slice of the chili-lime-butter.

How Not To Screw It Up
There’s not much I can say on this one. It’s pretty easy.

1. I strongly recommend that you use latex gloves when you peel, seed, and mince the chili. In fact, do not touch the chili at all with your bare hands. The chili oil gets on your fingers, and it does not wash out easily. And, just to be safe, don’t touch your eyes….trust me.
2. If you really like the rich taste of salmon, go for a coho salmon. It’s the most flavorful. If you like your salmon flavor more mellow, go for a good Atlantic salmon.
3. Take the time to roast the chili. It really brings out a richer flavor, and it’s worth the 45 minutes to do. If time is an issue, you can roast the chili ahead of time and use it to make the butter later. Or, make the butter ahead. It keeps well for several days, even up to a week.

A note on attribution: I believe that I originally got this recipe (or some form of it) from The Wine Lover’s Cookbook by Sid Goldstein.