Sweet and Spicy Poached Salmon

Lemon pepper seasoned and poached salmon, resting on a naturally sweet and spicy mango and green chili purée. 

I look for ways to season or flavor meals without added sugar or salt, but sometimes it is inevitable. Sometimes you need a little sweetness in your life, but wth this recipe you don’t need it! The mango is sweet and tangy, followed by a spicy punch from the green chili. I love spice, however my husband does not. To accommodate him, I plated his salmon with a mango purée prior to adding green chili to the blender. If you want the flavor of the green chili but not the spice, you can remove the seeds or buy mild canned green chili. I prefer fresh, but I’ll let you decide.

Here is what you need:

Filet of salmon (two servings)

1 mango pealed with pit removed

1/2 Poblano or Anaheim pepper (remove seeds for less spice add the other half if you want more zing)

1/2 lemon 

Pinch of coarse Pepper 

Prepare your sauce first because the salmon cooks fast and needs your full attention. Peel and remove the pit from a mango. Place it in a blender with your green chili and blend u tip smooth. Cilantro is a good additive too if you have it. Maybe a tablespoon of freshly diced cilantro is all you need. Set aside and start working with your salmon. Rinse and cut your salmon into individual serving sizes. Salmon shrinks when it cooks because of the amount of good fats that are in it, so keep that in mind when cutting your potions. 

Preheat your frying pan on the stove with a little oil to prevent the salmon from sticking. I skip this step if the salmon still has skin. I prefer not to have skin on my salmon and to avoid the step of removing it, I just place it on an non-oiled pan. The skin will stick to the pan and separate from the bottom of your salmon when removed from the pan. It also protects your salmon from burning or falling apart in the pan when you transfer it to a plate. It does however prevent you from seasoning the bottom side of your salmon. Since the sauce I am making has enough flavor, I am opting for leaving the skin on. Place your salmon, skin down on the hot skillet. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Cover with a lid. Let it cook util you see the white fat from the salmon bubble to the surface. Once you see this occur, remove from heat to prevent over cooking. Leaving it on the heat too long will cause it to dry out. Serve up the salmon with the mango purée and enjoy!