Recipe: Mango Habenero Salmon and Spring Salad

Mango Habanero Salmon (for two people)

Ingredients

• 1 large salmon filet
• 1 cup white rice
• 3 habaneros
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 mangoes
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 limes

Procedure:

1. Cut the salmon into serving-sized pieces and salt each side. Place on a wire rack in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Wash the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Add it to a pot with enough water to cover up to the first knuckle on your middle finger. Set it on the stove over medium heat with the lid on and cook for 30 minutes.
3. Wearing a pair of gloves, take the stems and seeds out of the habaneros; toast them in a pan along with the garlic for 3–5 minutes per side to get a light brown color all around.
4. Take the salmon out of the fridge; pat it dry with a paper towel, and allow it to come to room temperature.
5. When the garlic and habaneros are done, put them in a blender with the lid on to steam. Peel and roughly chop both mangoes and add them to the blender, along with the rice wine vinegar, oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, adding more oil if necessary. The sauce should be a mix of spicy and acidic.
6. Place the salmon skin-side down in a medium-high heat pan with a splash of oil. Cook for 5–7 minutes on the skin side, then flip and cook until just cooked through.
7. Cut up the cilantro and zest both limes. Add the cilantro and lime zest to the cooked rice.

Salad Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• Juice of 2 limes (from recipe above)
• 2 tablespoons agave
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Salad:

• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 avocado

Procedure:

1. Wash and chop the lettuce as necessary. Cut the avocado into small cubes. Toast the pine nuts for a few minutes to get a light brown color on both sides.
2. Roughly chop the cilantro, then add it to a blender with the vinegar, agave, and juice from the limes. Slowly add in the olive oil, using just enough to emulsify the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Zeke Appel can be reached at eappel@wesleyan.edu.