Tomatillo & Ginger Baked Salmon

As you may know, I adore tomatillos and I wanted to try using them as the star of a fish dish.  The sauce below would work just as well on top of a white fish such as fluke or cod.  I was cooking for my Dad, who has an aversion to major spice, so I omitted the jalapenos. Do keep them in if you can, as they balance out the acid with a wonderful kick.

I served these shishito peppers and stock-mashed potatoes (boil new potatoes, mash with a slab of butter, a bit of chicken stock and a grind of pepper!) rounding out a nice dinner in under an hour.

Tomatillo & Ginger Baked Salmon

Ingredients

• 1 cup of tomatillos, husks removed
• 4 salmon fillets
• 1 inch of ginger
• 1 garlic clove
• Optional: 1/2 a finely diced jalapeno, seeds omitted
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Tinfoil

Directions

• Pre heat oven to 375
• Boil 1 cup of husked tomatillos in boiling water for 4-6 minutes until they turn mustardy yellow
• Carefully remove from the pot, and let cool
• Meanwhile, peel and chop one inch of fresh ginger, one clove of garlic and the jalapeno
• Sauté the jalapeno, ginger and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, 1 – 2 minutes
• Add the tomatillos and with the back of a wooden spoon crush them into the ginger, garlic and, if using, jalapenos
• Add one teaspoon of soy sauce and cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes
• Place each salmon fillet on a piece of tinfoil, top with a healthy scoop of the tomatillo sauce and seal each fillet in the tinfoil packet
• Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 18 – 25 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillets and oven heat

Tomatillo Sauce

Salmon Pre-Tin Foil Packets

Tomatillo and Avocado Dressing

I have been patiently waiting for tomatillo's to arrive so I could share this recipe with you. Inspired by my favorite Midtown lunch spot, this dressing is so easy to make, so versatile and oh so yummy. Between this dressing, and last years tomatillo salsa I am obsessed. I couldn't stop taking pictures of these little treasures, as you will see below, and have used one batch of the dressing three ways this week already!

It has served as as:

1. A dip for crudites at work;
2. Water-downed as a dressing for a tomato, cucumber and mozzarella salad, and
3. As the sauce accompaniment to roasted shrimp over rice.  (Toss shrimp with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon zest and roast for 8-12 minutes at 375.)

Scoop up the next tomatilos you see and enjoy this easy peasy recipe with me.

Tomatillo and Avocado Dressing
Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado 
• 10 small to medium tomatillos 
• 3 spring onions
• Salt and pepper 
• Water

Directions

• Bring a small pot of water to boil, and drop in the peeled tomatillos. Cook for 6-7 minutes until they turn a nice mustardy yellow.
• Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking water, and let the tomatillos cool.
• Mince the onions in the food processor or blender until finely chopped. Add the tomatillos and avocado and then blend. One tablespoon at a time, add the reserve cooking water until you reach your desired consistency.