January 25, 2008

Secret Sauce Bonus:

Method: Salmon

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Finely grind the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns together in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Stir the ground spices and chutney together in a small bowl.
• Starting at a narrow end of each piece of salmon, cut a slit in each piece with a small paring knife, cutting almost all the way down to the other narrow end. (Don’t go all the way through.) Stuff each piece of fish with a generous tablespoon of stuffing. Season the fish all over the salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over moderately high heat until it shimmers and sauté the fish until golden on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fish over with a spatula and transfer the skillet to the middle of the oven. Roast the fish until just done, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve the fish in wide shallow bowls or soup plates with the sauce.

Method: Coconut Coriander Chutney

• Pulse the cilantro, coconut, chile, garlic, and ginger in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Puree the onion, olive oil, lime juice, and cilantro mixture in a blender until smooth. (Put the onion, oil, and lime juice into the bottom of the blender and put everything else on top; that way, there will be enough liquid to puree the mixture. If necessary, add 2 to 4 tablespoons water.) Add the mango chutney and puree until very smooth. Season the chutney with salt and pepper and transfer it to a bowl. Refrigerate the chutney, covered, for 2 hours so that flavors meld. The chutney keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
• Before serving, taste the chutney and adjust the seasonings.

Yields 6.

More from Floyd Cardoz

• Roast Lamb with Mint-Black Pepper Sauce
• Pan-Roasted Cod and Clams with Basmati Kanji