Saturday, May 07, 2011

A little chutney love

When I made dinner the other night I figured this post would be about the awesome curry seasoned grilled salmon I was making. I picked up some fresh Pacific chinook at the market, a glistening pink fillet that seemed like it had just been plucked from the ocean. However you'll notice in the picture there is no salmon. No pink. There is some glistening going on in that dish, though. Not to say the salmon wasn't good. It was pretty fabulous. But what really impressed was the chutney that went with the salmon. Apples and dates, a little seasoning and a splash of this and that and a piece of really good salmon suddenly filled our mouths with a wonderful sweet, smoky, savory flavor explosion.

I've made a couple of different chutneys recently to go with dinner, and before I ever made one I (wrongfully) assumed they'd be somewhat complicated to make. What a fool I was. This recipe off of epicurious couldn't have been easier...or faster. One of those reward to effort things that totally favors the former. I can see pairing it any number of things besides salmon. Pork tenderloin comes immediately to mind. Also some spring lamb wouldn't be a bad idea. The main thing is to make extra, because you'll be wanting to spoon this stuff directly onto your happy tastebuds!
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Broiled Salmon with Apple-Date Chutney
from: Bon Appétit | November 1997

Yield: Makes 2 servings

ingredients:
2 1-inch-thick salmon steaks (each about 6 ounces)
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

2/3 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped peeled tart green apple
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
2 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

method:
Heat 3 teaspoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Mix in apple, dates, apple juice and remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder. Cook 2 minutes longer. Mix in vinegar; simmer 1 minute. Season chutney to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Prepare medium hot fire on your grill. Brush each salmon steak with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon curry powder, salt and pepper. Grill salmon until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 teaspoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Mix in apple, dates, apple juice and remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder. Cook 2 minutes longer. Mix in vinegar; simmer 1 minute. Season chutney to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer salmon to plates. Spoon chutney alongside and serve.

Cooks note: I bumped up all the ingredients for the chutney by about a third. I wish I would've made more!- bb

3 comments:

Lindsay said...

Glad to see you're back! I'm an Oregonian living in Korea and I've missed your posts. Love the recipe, even if I can only drool :)

dp said...

Chutney's are under appreciated, if you as me. I often find myself wanting a sour-sweet flavor to accompany my meat dishes and chutneys fit the bill nicely. The grocery store near me had a sale on mangoes, so I snatched up 6 and canned a big batch of chutney. It's nice to be able to pop a can open whenever I'm in the mood. But you're right, they can also be made quickly.

The Country Cook said...

Hi! I just found your blog and loved visiting here!This chutney sounds like it would go with so many things! Perfect for the apples that are about to be harvested soon!