Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa

Seize the winter with Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa! This fresh and exciting dish is an opportunity to create meaningful memories with a plate of deliciousness.

Start by creating an intense base - a tantalizing spice rub comprised of coriander, cumin, dill yellow-mustard, fennel, salt, pepper, and sugar - that will seep into your salmon’s flesh as it sits for 30 minutes before grilling. Toast the whole seeds until they become aromatic and fragrant before grinding them down and mixing them with salt, pepper, and sugar to complete your new flavor creation. 

Then, take this intensified flavor profile to another level by introducing a burst of freshness from the spicy cucumber salsa! The combination of bright ingredients like cucumbers, jalapeños, cilantro, vinegar, and lime make this salsa vibrant and balance the robust rub on the fish. 

So why wait? Be creative in the kitchen this winter and explore Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa: a one-of-a-kind captivating experience that you'll never forget!

Serves 4

Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon each whole coriander, cumin, dill, and yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 whole four-pound side of salmon, skin on, small bones, and excess fat removed
• Olive oil

Spicy Cucumber Salsa

• 2 seedless cucumbers (2 pounds)
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and trimmed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
• 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh mint, chopped medium fine
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa Directions

1. Combine all seeds in a skillet over medium heat; toast, shaking the pan, until aromatic, 4 to 6 minutes. Grind seeds coarsely in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl; add salt, pepper, and sugar.
2. Rub spice mixture into the flesh side of the salmon. Let stand 30 minutes; if not grilling right away, refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 days. Let salmon come to room temperature before grilling.
3. Heat the grill to hot; the rack should be very hot. Brush both sides of the salmon and the hot rack with oil. Grill salmon (if using a gas grill, close lid while cooking), flesh side down, until firm and slightly charred, 4 to 8 minutes. Carefully turn the salmon using two large spatulas. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes more or until mostly opaque but slightly translucent and cooked through. Serve with cucumber salsa.

Spicy Cucumber Salsa

1. Peel cucumbers in strips for a striped effect. Cut in half lengthwise; remove any seeds. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices.
2. Combine cucumbers, shallots, jalapenos, and mint. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in olive oil until combined. Pour over cucumbers, and toss gently to combine. Serve.

Taken from marthastewart.com  http://www.marthastewart.com/312489/spice-rubbed-grilled-salmon-with-spicy-c