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At Camille Stiles, our love for delicious, nutritious food runs deep. Whether we meet in person or chat over Slack, the conversation inevitably leans towards what’s cooking right now in kitchens across the country. From the best taco recipes to comforting seasonal soups to an enduring passion for sweet potatoes, food is always a conversation starter. So what dish is constantly making an appearance in my kitchen right now? This recipe for Blackened Salmon with Tropical Pico from Sara Forte’s new cookbook. Our Table: Healthy Recipes to Feed Family and Friends.
Founder of healthy cooking site Sprouted Kitchen, Sarah is an expert at delivering fresh, delicious food to an ever-growing audience. Her recipes combine creativity with honesty, acknowledging that we all only have so much time in the kitchen, even if we would like to. Sarah understands food as a core tenet of the pursuit of health, which translates to nutrition, but also considers what we can do with the resources we have.
Food is also a means of connection. It is the foundation of intimate moments with family and friends. Sarah’s latest cookbook, Around our dining tablecreates space for a holistic understanding of food. It’s the type of cookbook that evolves with you — rather than dwelling on changing food trends, it serves as a guide to how food can sustain your life, no matter the season.
We sat down with Sarah to discuss the intention behind her latest work. As Sarah reflects, her passion for incorporating food into a fulfilling life is clear. Her recipes are improvisational, bringing color and creativity to the table while remaining simple and streamlined.
Black Salmon with Tropical Pico
“This is salmon that’s a crowd-pleaser,” Sarah writes in her cookbook. While other salmon recipes sacrifice flavor for simplicity, Sarah uses fresh, flavorful ingredients and streamlines prep, resulting in a delicious meal every time.
We also love that this salmon and its accompanying pico can be served in limitless ways: Sarah likes topping it on fish tacos with pico or adding a little volume to a salsa with avocado, making it a stand-out standalone appetizer (along with some crunchy salty chips, of course).
There are lots of tips for serving salmon, and she enjoys it the most.[…] Season generously and serve with punchy pineapple pico and avocado.” (That is, exactly like the recipe below.) “I serve it with coconut rice, but it could just as easily be wrapped in a burrito or served on top of veggies. This dish also makes great leftovers for lunch, so don’t overthink the recommended portion sizes.”
And contrary to popular belief, salmon isn’t a year-round dish: Sarah points out that the freshest fish is available from May to September, and while frozen fillets are useful in an emergency, she advises avoiding the “tail part, which is thin and brittle”.
With these expert tips in mind, read on for Sarah’s recipe for Blackened Salmon with Tropical Pico. And… Around our dining table If you want to know more recipes that you can use for everyday cooking, click here.
Excerpted with permission from Around Our Table by Sara Forte (Hardie Grant Publishing, April 2024, hardcover retail price $40).
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explanation
A crowd-pleaser and easy to make when you’re in a hurry, Blackened Salmon with Tropical Pico is a standout recipe this summer.
For Tropical Pico:
- 2 cups / 330 g freshly chopped pineapple
- 1 ripe mango, chopped into small pieces
- 1 Roma tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
- 1 Coriander bunch, chopped
- 1/4 chopped red onion
- 1 Serrano, seeds removed and finely chopped if desired
- 1 Lime, zest and juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
- A pinch of freshly ground pepper
- Pinch of sugar
For salmon:
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil for frying pan
- 2 lb / 900 G Salmon center fillet
For Black End Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Drying time
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried oregano
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Finely ground coffee
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
For the coconut rice:
- 1 cup / 200g white rice (thoroughly washed)
- 1 cup / 240 Milliliters water
- 1 cup / 240 Milliliters Coconut milk
- Pinch of sugar
- Skin 1 lime
- Sea salt
- 2 Large avocado (diced)
- Fresh coriander and microgreens
For Tropical Pico:
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For Black Salmon:
- Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray or rub with oil. Dry the salmon with paper towels and then place on the oiled parchment sheet.
- Mix all the blackened seasoning together, add the oil and gently rub into the salmon flesh.
- Start cooking the rice: Combine rinsed rice, water, coconut milk, sugar, lime zest, and salt. Stir. Bring the rice to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes until tender. Set aside.
- While the rice is cooking, grill the salmon. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn up the heat and grill for a few more minutes until browned and starting to char on top. The time will vary depending on your oven, but you should think about 2 minutes. The salmon should be cooked to medium done in that time. If you prefer it well done, add 5 minutes to the initial grilling time. Remove and let rest.
- Place the salmon fillets on a platter, flake with a fork and place on top of the rice, top with the avocado and pico, and garnish with cilantro and microgreens.
