I LOVE springtime. It means skirts and light jackets and a lot more bike riding in my life. However, springtime in the kitchen is also a major highlight. Pea shoots, rhubarb, and asparagus are all things that I look forward to. And while salmon isn’t necessarily something that screams spring, it’s pink and tasty and goes so well with a bounty of spring veg. I love salmon almost as much as I love spring.
This salmon is perfect for spring weekend dinner. It’s simple to prepare and it cooks in no time at all. In about 20 minutes you’ll have dinner on the table leaving you with plenty of time for other springtime activities like biking to the farmer’s market or being lazy with a good book. It will even free up your kitchen time so that you can find time to make up some Easter treats like these hot cross buns. Or venture over to Poppytalk and whip up a batch of butterscotch & chocolate blondies.
So enjoy this weekend and make friends with springtime in your kitchen. If you are lucky like most of us Canadians, you’ll be enjoying this long weekend to the fullest. For me, there’s plans for some bike riding, pizza & beers with good friends and even a quick road-trip get-away to Seattle. I’m excited. Springtime: it’s ripe with possibilities.
pan-roasted chipotle salmon
1 large fillet of salmon, rinsed & patted dry
2 green onions, sliced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced + 1 t of sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice & zest of 1 lime + optional wedges for servingPreheat oven to 400F and place a cast iron skillet in the oven. With a fork, mash together the chipotle, garlic and lime zest/juice and spread the chipotle mixture around the entire fillet. With oven mitts on, remove skillet and add in the salmon fillet. Sprinkle with green onions and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until done. Serve with a squeeze of lime if you like.
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This is definitely my kind of fish — smoky, spicy (or “spissy” as my DH would say), and full of flavor.
Those are some great shots — gorgeous lighting on the first one. And that’s a beautiful cast iron pan, if I ever saw one. Inherited?
I usually start salmon on the stove-top and finish it in the oven, I will have to try this technique! You are lucky you get all 4 days, sadly Monday isn’t a stat 🙁
hell yes, this looks amazing. i love spicy fish!!!!
This looks very tasty, bookmarked for the next time I buy salmon.
One question though, I have bought chipotle peppers in a can exactly once, and they were hotter than I realized so I only used about 3-4 in a giant pot of chili. For this sort of recipe, what do you do with the rest of the can? Will it keep? (sadly, they are a bit pricey here)
Thanks!
Yes Lo, that pan is inherited from my husband’s grandma. We use it all the time and love it!
Katerina, stats? Dude, I work from home, I’ve never heard of a stat. But I like to pretend that I do take regular days off 🙂
Thanks Stefanie!
Sarah, yes, they keep for a long time. I just keep them in a glass jar in the fridge and have had no problems keeping them that way for months. Others prefer to freeze them, but I’ve had no issues.
Wish I could reach in to my monitor and snatch that plate of salmon away – LOL! I’ve had salmon on my mind for weeks. Coho and sockeye (my preferred choice)are not always available in major TO supermarkets (not to mention they can be very pricey). Atlantic salmon is everywhere but I’m a bit reluctant to buy it. Sometimes though, my hankering for salmon is so strong that I just cave in get the $6 cheapo Atlantic salmon steak. What kind of salmon do you generally buy ?
Perfect – I have chipotles in the fridge just waiting to be used. Those pics look so good I’m getting hungry just looking!
Wow, what an amazing blog, you’re food always looks delish. I’ve just started a foody blog myself although it’s a little amateur compared to this. Thanks for the inspiration!
Salmon is an anytime kind of meal for me but it does go oh-so-well with spring veggies. Love the smoky chipotle marinade here. Works wonderfully with the salmon.
wow this looks like a Hot dish .. makes u want to eat more and more of it..Salmon and chipotles what a great combination
I’ve been trying to think of new things to do with salmon for awhile, and this looks great. Will definitely have to try it. I have to echo Bijoux’s statement though: It’s so hard to find non-farmed fish where I live, out in Walla Walla, WA.
Wow, this looks delicious! I love salmon and this combination sounds great!
If I were sitting in a restaurant and you were being served that salmon, I’d say to the waiter, “I’ll have what she’s having!” It looks wonderful.
Does the salmon stick to the cast iron pan? Do you grease it at all, or is it just super well-seasoned?
This combines two of my favourite things – fish and chipotles! I keep buying those little tins of San Marcos chipotles in adobo and I’m delighted to find recipes like these to use them!
Bijoux, I’m starting to look to my OceanWise guide for seafood and fish buying tips, but I did buy this salmon at Costco. I’m sure it was Atlantic farmed, but I caved.
Haley, it’s good to have some chipotles in the fridge…so many uses!
Thanks Sarah.
I think so too, Joanne.
Thanks Maaya.
Laura, I’ve bought Salmon off the boat when I’m near a local fish market on Granville Island or at Steveston, but usually, I’ve been buying from Costco. I am trying to change my ways and purchase from the farmer’s market.
Thanks Jen, it’s a goodie!
Ha, thanks Lynn!
Monika, it helps to have a bunch of recipes at hand to use them up!
Well, hello. This is so up my alley.. what a delicious combo! Love the cast iron skillet too.. I’ll be making this as soon as we get back home to my cast iron skillets! Thank you!
Sorry Lynn, forgot to answer your question about the cast iron pan. No, I didn’t grease or oil up the pan as I find salmon to be quite a fatty fish. It didn’t stick at all.
Julie, this is a good dish to come home to!
This is so my kind of salmon. I need some now!
I, too, love, love, love salmons! And also, spring.
Hannah, it’s a good dish and perfect for those salmon cravings!
Michelle, hooray for salmon & spring-lovers!
This looks great, thanks!!
I’ve got some wild Alaskan salmon from Costco in the freezer, I just may have to break it out tomorrow night!
it looks wonderful. I can only imagine how great it would taste. 🙂
Mmm spicy! My mouth is still warm from dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
Amie, this would be perfect for your wild salmon.
Oneshotbeyond, oh trust me, it tastes great 🙂
Gini, does this mean you made it? If so, glad you loved it.
Thank you for this, I’ve been wondering what to do with the leftover Chipotles in my fridge!
Siri, I love having leftover chipotles! So many options.
I made this and we both really enjoyed it. It’s probably the spiciest salmon dish I’ve ever had, but instead of overwhelming the fish, the spices seem to compliment salmon. I couldn’t make out the lime, but this may have been due to my use of three chipotles instead of your suggested two. What can I say, I like it hot.