Spicy Grilled Salmon with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

 My husband, Rich, went fishing in Alaska a couple of weeks ago and came home with a boat load of salmon!  What a great opportunity to create many new recipes!  Fire up the grill for this recipe-you can even roast the tomatillos on the grill as well-keep the heat outside!

Remember--cook the fish approximately 10 minutes per inch of height of the fillet.  Overcooked fish, especially salmon, gets really strong flavored and the flaky texture goes away.

DRY RUB

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon brown sugar

¼ teaspoon finely ground coffee (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound wild Alaska sockeye salmon, skin on

Extra virgin olive oil for brushing

In a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, brown sugar and coffee.  Pat the salmon fillet dry. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in the spice mixture, patting to distribute the rub evenly on the fish and drizzle both sides of the salmon with the olive oil.  .  (If your fillet has the skin on, just season the flesh side but oil both sides).  You can put the rub on the fish up to 2 hours ahead of time. 

Preheat a grill, brushing the grates with oil before putting the fish on (or use a fish basket).  Grill the salmon fillets, flesh side down first and turning only once, until nearly cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes).  Transfer the salmon to a plate.  Serve with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.

 You can put the spice rub on the fillets a few hours ahead of time.  Cover with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator.  Take them out about 30 minutes before you put them on the grill.

  We were all so hungry that we gobbled the salmon right up!  Sorry-but here's what the plate looked like after!!

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA 

About 8 small tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 large jalapeno chile, stemmed

4 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves removed

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

¼ cup chopped white onion

Salt to taste

Preheat broiler.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Arrange tomatillos and jalapeno chile on prepared baking sheet.  Broil until tomatillos and jalapeno chile are soft and blackened in spots, about 5 minutes per side.  Cool; transfer tomatillos, jalapeno chile, and any juices on the baking sheet to a blender or food processor.  Add the fresh mint leaves, onion and lime juice; blend to a coarse puree.  Transfer salsa to a serving bowl and season with salt.

Makes about 1 cup and can be made up to a day ahead.

Tomatillos are a fruit sometimes called Mexican green tomato.  It resembles a small green tomato in size, shape and appearance, except for the fact that is has a thin papery-husk.  Their flavor has hints of lemon, apple and herbs.  Be sure to remove the husk before using.