Recipe: David Colombe's Cajun Salmon

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The following recipe is from David Colombe's debut book Colombe's Cooking In Your Kitchen. The recipe is posted with his permission. You can find more information about David Colombe, his book, and his delicious recipes at his website.

I have served this both as a main course and as an appetizer. Either way, people LOVE it. It is really great to make your own rub for this. It’s really easy and will make a big difference in the dish. Everybody will be WOW’ed. Making your own rub gives you the personality of the dish, instead of using a prepackaged rub that usually contains more salt than real flavour.

Cajun Rub
1 tsp. Cumin Seed
2 tsp. dried Basil
2 tsp. dried Oregano
2 tsp. dried Thyme
2 Tbsp. Mexican Chili Powder
big pinch Pepper
big pinch Kosher Salt

Put all the spices in a Mortar and Pestle or grinder and grind to medium fine consistency.

1 lb. Salmon (about ½ Fillet)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Trim the Salmon if needed. There may still be a bit of fin or part of the belly fat that you want to get rid of. Cut the Salmon into whatever sized pieces you would like to serve. For main course, usually 4-6 oz (if you have a scale) or about the size of your palm. For an Appie size, cut each of those into 4 pieces about 1-2” square. Press the meat side of the fish into the rub.

Put a bit of Olive Oil into a Cast Iron Skillet, or other frying pan that can go into the oven. Heat up the oil, to just under the smoking point. Place the Fish in the pan, spiced side down first. Let this cook for about 2-4 minutes. The rub should start to darken and you can see the Fish starting to cook up the sides. Flip the Fish over onto the skin side and cook for about 2 more minutes. Once the skin starts to get a bit crispy, place the whole pan in the oven for about 7 minutes. Do not over-cook. The Salmon should just be cooked through, with just a little bit of pink left in the middle. If it over-cooks, it will start to dry out.

If you are serving this as a main, it would go perfectly with Rice and Beans and some nice green veggies or accompanying a nice Shrimp Etoufée. Go all out and cook something Creole! As an Appetizer, this goes great solo, or on toast. White wine is still the best match, use a Gewürztraminer or Riesling.

Comments

Oh man, this sounds delicious. I need to get myself some salmon!

Excellent timing, I'd just caught myself eyeing the salmon in the market the other day. Now I'm inspired!

I made this.

I think I'm going to eat the whole pound in one sitting! Very easy to make, and quite tasty. A Longboard Lager is a nice accompaniment.