Grilled Salmon with Spicy Summer Strawberry Glaze
Strawberry season is coming to an end, but have no fear…there are some excellent options if you missed the berry boat.
The summer brings us so many amazing things.
Fresh vegetables, delicious fruits, the sounds of children laughing as they run through the sprinkler, the smell of fresh cut grass and especially today…
God Awful Heat and Humidity!
Cue the Lovin’ Spoonful’s song……
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn’t it a pity
Doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head
In New York today is was 92 degrees, 80 % percent humidity plus a grill pumping out 700 degree blasts.
Common people…
Ok, enough of my pity party, let’s get back to the food.
I had a 1/2 hour window to get food on the patio table before my little one got water logged and my wife went the route of having hummus and cereal as a meal, so I had to act faster than 007 defusing a bomb.
Great reference …especially if you know how my wife is when she’s hot and uncomfortable.
I just remembered that I picked up some fresh salmon yesterday and my pantry has more condiments and spices than Bobby Flay’s kitchen, so it was go time, but I wanted something different and it couldn’t take long to prepare.
As I was looking in my fridge I saw that the fresh strawberries were no longer fresh and looked worse than the NY Times reviews of Guy Fieri’s restaurants…but I did happen to pick up a jar of the most delicious and organic strawberry preserves.
Ladies and germs, I present to you my new addiction:
Peconic River Preserves.
I recently sampled their preserves and always being on the look out for additions to my cutting edge recipes..and my toddler’s eating habits…I got hooked on the strawberry and once you try it, you will too.
With organic cane sugar, strawberries, lemon juice, organic butter and sea salt..you know it’s going to be good.
Lather up this bad boy and watch the magic happen.
This delicious concoction that I have put together will, no doubt, be a family favorite and requested by Aunt Mable and your fat headed brothers at every bbq.
Strawberries that are grown locally are usually sweeter and more delicious than anything you pick up in a grocery store.
I’m not saying that never do get them from a store…but when they are in season I always go local, during the summer months, I get them from local farm stands and farmers markets.
And this goes for almost every fruit and veggie that I eat.
Besides eating more healthy, you are supporting small businesses in your area…and that is a good thing.
Think about it this way. You run out to the big chain super market to pick up a few things. Let’s say you shop at a fictional market called Troll Foods. They have great produce, but are known for high prices to go along with the food.
They charge you, just making up a number, $8. 50 a pint. $9.25 after tax.
Ok, in addition to this you see that they are grown in Mexico, and Mexico doesn’t have the strict standards of safety and quality that we have and even that local farm stands have.
On top of this…They are picked unripened, put on a truck and 2 weeks later…Voila!
They arrive at a loading dock somewhere in the South Bronx then driven again out to your store.
Not the image you wanted for your sweet little berries?
Take advantage of all of the treasures that you can find during the summer months.
Enjoy the fresh bounty of the oceans and lakes as well as the fruits and veggies that are local to you.
Eat better, have more variety and help you local small business out by buying from their farm stands or farmer’s markets.
Enjoy a glass of wine outside while listening to classical music..or death metal. ( if that’s what floats your boat)
Enjoy the sun going down and experience watching it coming up.
Enjoy family, friends and the fact that you are vibrant and alive.
Now enough of this emotional junk…get out there..buy some fresh fish, a few veggies and a water mellon.
Light up the grill, turn up the tunes and bbq your way into the sunset.
Check out the full recipe below and…
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- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Peconic River Strawberry Preserves
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salmon. 4- 4 ounce filets or one large 1 1/2 or 2 pound piece.
- Salt to taste
- In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients until blended well.
- Set aside 1/4 of the glaze for the final basting.
- Rinse it gently with cold water, check for pin bones and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Preheat your grill on high to about 600 degrees.
- Spread strawberry glaze on top of the salmon evenly and place on hot grill, skin side down.
- Close the top of the grill and cook for 3 minutes.
- Rotate the salmon a 1/4 turn, put more glaze on top from the same container that you have been using ( as to not cross contaminate) and close grill and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Open grill top of the grill. Baste again with strawberry glaze and then carefully place it top side down on the grill.
- Lower the heat almost 1/2 down.
- Cook for 2 minutes and then turn the salmon 1/4 of the way, in either direction, to get nice grill marks.
- Close the top of the grill and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Carefully put a spatula under the salmons skin and watch how easy it is to remove it.
- Place salmon on a bed of greens skin side down.
- When removing salmon skin, make sure that you get rid of the gray flesh as well. This is the part where most people get turned off by a "fishy" tasting salmon resides.
- Serve on a bed of cold, lightly dressed field greens.
- The heat of the salmon will wilt the greens making it perfect!
- Cook for 7-8 minutes per inch of thickness.
- Some people like it almost raw. Some like it well done.
Mark
August 23, 2017
How do I get this amazing sounding jam? Send me some of your stash. I’m sure you have a case of it from the company for writing a killer article, lol.
Ed
August 23, 2017
Hi Mark. No stash here for cooking with their product, but I wouldn’t mind 🙂
Google them at Peconic River Preserves. They have a great variety.