you say tomato, i say tomatillo
I’m always trying to think of fun new things to do with salmon. It’s probably one of my favorite types of fish, plus it’s plentiful, plus it’s on the cheaper side when you’re looking at fish at the market. My go-to is just a simple pan-fried or grilled salmon fillet with some kind of sauce. Combining a delicious tomatillo salsa with citrus and baked salmon was a first for me, and boy did it slap. Salmon baked simply with red onion and a mix of both lemon and orange comes out juicy and citrusy. Adding fresh, sweet tomatillo salsa at the end rounds out the flavors and adds a subtle heat kick to the citrus flavors. Look for those tomatillos at the market now as it’s peak season for this babies!
⟶ the recipe
citrus-roasted salmon with sweet tomatillo salsa
ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound of salmon
Salt and pepper
½ red onion, sliced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Sweet tomatillo salsa
1-2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeño, stemmed with seeds removed
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon sugar
½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 orange
½ teaspoon salt
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
35 minutes
Total time
50 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle olive oil in a medium baking dish, and rub the salmon in the oil, coating both sides. Place salmon skin side down in the middle of the dish, and season it with salt and pepper.
Nestle the red onion slices around the edges of the salmon. Place the lemon and orange juice and zest in a liquid measuring cup and drizzle all over the salmon and onions.
Bake salmon for about 35 minutes, until cooked through completely.
While the salmon is baking, make the tomatillo salsa. Heat a large skillet coated with oil on high. Add the tomatillos, searing each side for 2-3 minutes, until browned on both sides. Transfer tomatillos to a plate and let cool.
Once tomatillos are cool enough to handle. Add them to a food processor or blender. Add the jalapeno, garlic, sugar, cilantro leaves, orange juice, and salt. Blend or pulse until ingredients have broken down into a consistency you like.
Transfer salsa to a bowl and cool at room temperature until salmon is done.
Remove salmon from the oven, and drizzle the tomatillo salsa on top, garnishing with extra cilantro as desired.
⟶ recipe notes
- The consistency of the tomatillo salsa depends on what tool you use to make it. Use a blender for a much smoother consistency that’s more like a sauce. For more of a chunky salsa, use a food processor, and make sure you don’t use too much orange juice. I would start with the other ingredients first, and liquify with the orange juice to your desired consistency
⟶ modifications
- This is a sweeter tomatillo salsa than most. See here for a more classic and hotter tomatillo salsa
- You can also try this recipe with another similar fish like trout or sea bass
⟶ make it ahead
- Make the tomatillo salsa in advance and store it in the fridge. Bring it out and let it heat up to room temperature before serving atop the fish
- You’ll likely have leftover salsa, so feel free to reserve it in a jar in the fridge for up to a week and use with something else. Here are some examples of dishes you can use it with:
- Shrimp or fish tacos
- Enchiladas
- Chips and salsa
- Over grilled chicken
- Over steak (like a chimichurri)
