Recipe of the Month

by Duane Radford

Maple Chili Salmon

Maple Chili Salmon
● 4 salmon fillets
● 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
● 2 tablespoons soy sauce
● 1 tablespoon sesame oil
● 1 teaspoon chili powder
● 1 teaspoon canola oil (for cooking, if grilled in a skillet on a stove top) or aerosol canola oil (if cooked on a BBQ)
● sesame seeds
● aluminum foil (shaped into a tray) if cooked on a BBQ
● large Ziploc plastic bag

Grilled Red Cabbage
● 1/2 red cabbage (thinly diced)
● 1 Honey Crisp, Gala or Granny Smith apple (cored, thinly sliced)
● 2 tablespoons canola oil
● 1/4 cup sugar
● 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
● 1/4 cup water
● salt and pepper (to taste)
● 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

Credit for this recipe goes to Barb Kaiser from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia that she passed on to my daughter-in-law, Allison, who says she doesn’t think there is any real “history” behind this recipe. It’s one that Barb just came across and has been making for her family. Barb grilled/roasted the salmon fillets in a skillet/oven. I decided to barbecue them on tinfoil to simplify the process and make for an easy cleanup. I used one (only) large fillet from a 35-pound Chinook salmon that my son, Myles, caught.

Maple Chili Salmon 
1. Whisk the maple syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili powder together in a small bowl.
2. Wash the salmon fillets under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place inside the plastic bag.
3. Pour the marinade into the bag and slosh it around the fillets until thoroughly coated.
4. Refrigerate the fillets for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes. That’s all the time that’s necessary to marinade fish.
5. If you’re grilling the salmon in a skillet on a stovetop, add canola oil and sear it for about 4 minutes. Next, put the skillet in your oven and bake it for 8 minutes at 350 F.
6. If you cook the salmon on a barbecue, pre-heat it to 400 F. Fashion an aluminum tray, spray it lightly with canola oil, and bake it for about 10-12 minutes, to taste.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the salmon with a red cabbage dish that compliments the rich and tangy flavour of the marinade.


Grilled Red Cabbage  
1. Heat the canola oil in a skillet. Add the remaining ingredients.
2. Cook the cabbage over a medium/low heat, stirring occasionally (15 minutes for crisp cabbage; 30 minutes for softer cabbage).

Serve with a “Spinach & Spring Mix” garden salad (optional) featuring the following homemade salad dressing: 1-1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 2-1/2 tablespoons virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon white sugar (stir well). Add the salad dressing to a spring mix salad, toss, and top with some crumbled blue cheese.

Salmon can stand up to a medium-full bodied red wine pairing and could also be paired with a cool stout or dark ale. Or, go with your favourite white wine. .