Salmon Marinated in Spiced Yogurt (grilled or baked) with Rhubarb Chutney

I’ve been having a big craving for spicy, hot food. We’ve been eating lots of spicy chickpea pancakes and bhel puri with very spicy green chutney. This salmon dish does not have to be super hot, but if you use both green chilies with all the seeds it is nice and spicy!

The recipe was adapted a “Tandoori” Salmon recipe on Saveur. I find that Saveur has great information and inspiration about food and culture, but their recipes often have unnecessary steps and questionable cooking times. So, the version posted below used their delicious spice paste but the steps are simpler and the timing won’t result in overcooked salmon. Feel free to adjust the spices depending on what you like and what you have.

I posted the rhubarb chutney recipe last year and have been making a lot of it again this year. It is really good (if I do say so myself) and very easy to make. Serve the Salmon with rhubarb chutney (or some sort of good store-bought chutney) along side a Raw Asparagus Salad or a Cooling Kohlrabi and Apple Salad.SALMON MARINATED IN SPICED YOGURT

adapted from Saveur

1 2½–3 pound boneless, skin-on salmon filet (I used wild caught sockeye)
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 three-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoon mild oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon paprika (I use hot paprika)
1½ teaspoon cardamom seeds (removed from their pods. If use ground cardamom, increase the amount a bit)
1½ teaspoon ground bay leaf
1½ teaspoon. ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoon ground cloves
1½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 green jalapeno chiles, stemmed and minced (optional)
1 cup plain whole yogurt

Rinse the salmon filet, pat it dry and place it on or in a flat container to marinate.
Place the garlic, ginger, kosher salt, mild oil, white vinegar, paprika, cardamom seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and green chilies in a blender, food processor or mortar a pestle. Process into a thick paste adding up to 1/4 cup of water if needed.
Slather the paste over the salmon and let it marinate covered in the fridge for at least an hour and up to overnight.
Slather the salmon with the yogurt and let it marinate for an hour (half an hour is fine too).
This salmon can be grilled or baked. Grill the salmon skin side down on a well oiled hot grill. When the edges start to look cook, flip the fillets and cook them on the other side for just a minute. To bake, I like to heat some oil in a cast iron skillet by placing it inside a 425 degree oven. Place the salmon skin side down on in the well oiled, hot skillet. It will sizzle so be careful. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 13 minutes. Serve with a Raw Asparagus Salad or a Cooling Kohlrabi and Apple Salad and Rhubarb Chutney.