Serve this Spice-Crusted Salmon with the accompanying Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas and the Green Chile Cheese Rice and you’ve hit the trifecta. The recipes are super simple and make an absolutely delicious threesome! An added bonus: The salmon and rice dish both cook at the identical 450° temperature for about the same amount of time.
Sauté a pound of trimmed sugar snaps in some olive oil and chopped garlic for 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with a chiffonade of fresh mint leaves and serve.
The salmon crust is made from spice seeds, but if you have to substitute an already ground spice (like I did for the coriander), that’s OK too. I highly suggest using an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the fish. The center of ours was still on the rarer side after 30 minutes, when the original recipe indicated it would take only 16-18 minutes.
The Green Chile Cheese Rice was a throw together recipe cobbled together from something I saw posted on Facebook. It is REALLY good and somewhat flexible in the ingredient amounts. A time-saver if you cook the rice earlier in the day (or the day before), that’s one less step you have to do at dinner time.
Spice-Crusted Salmon
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 Tbs. sesame seeds
- 2 Tbs. coriander seeds
- 1 Tbs. cumin seeds
- 1 Tbs. fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for oiling the salmon
- One 2-1/2 lb. skin-on salmon fillet
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450ºF.
- Combine the ginger, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, fennel, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a food processor and process until the mixture is finely chopped, about 30 seconds.
- With the motor running, drizzle the oil through the feed tube and process, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the mixture forms a paste, about 20 seconds.
- Rub oil on the salmon skin, and put the salmon, skin side down, on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Sprinkle 2 tsp. salt evenly over the salmon. Using your hands, spread the spice paste onto the salmon.
- Roast until the salmon is cooked to your liking, 16 to 18 minutes for medium-rare. Our thick piece took 30 minutes for medium on the ends, rarer in the center.
- Slice into 6 thin fillets and arrange on a platter. (Yeah, I know, I only made 5 fillets.)
Recipe by Julie Grimes Bottcher from Fine Cooking
Green Chile Cheese Rice
Green Chile Cheese Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked basmati rice, cooled (make up to a day ahead)
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 1 Tbsp. butter softened, more for topping
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Cook the rice according to package directions to equal 4 cups. Let cool at room temperature and use right away, or store in a sealed container in the refgerator until ready to use.
- With the softened butter, grease a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish on the bottom and sides, Lightly sprinkle some of the grated parm on the bottom.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked rice, and all of the other ingredients (except the remaining parm), and stir fully incorporate. Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle on remaining grated cheese and dot with butter.
- Place dish into preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until it starts getting a light brown crust on the edges. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Accounting for Taste 
This all looks delicious!
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