Maple Jerk Salmon with Cucumber Melon Salsa

Juicy sweet and sassy maple crusted salmon seasoned with Caribbean jerk spices, topped with a cool, crisp, refreshing minted cucumber melon salsa. Enjoy this lovely salmon just like this, or serve with a side of coconut or cauliflower rice. It’s crazy easy to make, but you’ll feel like you’re eating at a fancy restaurant when you sit down to enjoy your meal. It’s got that magical sweet-hot thing going on, with so many contrasting flavors, colors and textures that make eating a total pleasure.

For me, I dove in to the dish just like this, except I kept adding more and more salsa as I made my way through my handsome hunk of salmon. I wanted to experience it ALL with every bite.

Helllooooo beautiful! (I think it’s a total plus that this salmon dish not only tastes great, it is a pleasure to look at as well.)

So here’s the story behind this dish: If you know me or anybody in my family, our fridges are perpetually over-full. But when I got back from vacation last week, I returned to a sadly mostly empty fridge (as you might expect). The only produce left were a couple sad eggplants that I had stashed in the veggie drawer, hoping they would be okay once I returned from vacation, a bit of cantaloupe my parents had brought down for my daughter and one small cucumber that was starting to get a little crumpled on the edges. My parents said they were coming down on Monday which meant a BIG batch of produce would be coming my way soon, so I didn’t want to go buying any produce from the store.

But I could buy SALMON! I love a nice sexy hunk of salmon. So I picked up some handsome salmon steaks … and then this crazy idea came over me … what if I used that old cantaloupe and cucumber to make a salsa to pour over the salmon? Would that work? Would the cucumber even still have any crunch left? How would they taste together? If it didn’t work, it might ruin my grandiose plans for the salmon. Well then, I told myself, I would just give it a shot and see how things went. What’s the worst that could happen? I’m only cooking it for myself for lunch anyway. The salmon would be good, I was sure, and if it wasn’t up to my culinary standards, then the rest of the universe would still twirl along their merry way, unknowing and uncaring.

But it worked! Beautifully! It was a resounding success and I want the WHOLE WORLD to know about it … THIS DISH IS EASY AND QUICK AND FABULOUS AND HEALTHY TOO AND YOU WILL LOVE YOURSELF IF YOU MAKE IT!

Sorry for shouting. I kind of really really really love this salmon. And the salsa. In all the years that I’ve been overwhelmed with fresh garden cantaloupe and cucumber and all the fresh mint that’s taken over my tiny front garden, why did I never think to turn these three things into a salsa?

Well, I guess it was just waiting for the right time. So I’m glad the time has arrived. I hope you love this dish as much as I do.

I sized the recipe for two, because you will have enough marinade and salsa for two hunks of salmon. You can make this for you and another someone special, or you can make it just for yourself and set aside the extra marinade and salsa for another lovely meal on another lovely day.

How do you make perfect oven roasted salmon?

Aside from the marinade, which definitely helps seal in the moisture, making superb oven roasted salmon is really quite simple (even when you’re NOT marinading the salmon). The trick is not to overcook it, so watch it carefully. Thin end pieces of salmon will be done faster than thicker salmon steaks. Thinner salmon might be done in 5 – 8 minutes, while thicker pieces might take 15 – 20 minutes to achieve the same results. I like to go with a lower heat especially when cooking thicker salmon pieces to allow it to cook more evenly. If the heat is too high, the thin side of the salmon might get overdone before the thick side is done.

So take note of the thickness of your salmon, and check it a minute or two earlier than you think it will be done. When you see the sides start to get pink, test the thicker portion of the salmon. As soon as it starts to flake with a fork, the salmon is ready. Remove from the oven and the baking dish IMMEDIATELY.

Sometimes, if I’m feeling super picky, I test the thin side separately than the thick side … then I cut off the thin side as soon as it’s done and serve it while I’m waiting for the thicker side to finish.

By the way if you’re looking for some excellent quality, wild caught salmon (or other fish/seafood) shipped straight to your front door, I highly recommend Wild Alaskan. I love the quality of their salmon and the convenience of having it shipped right to me. Also, they use sustainable fishing practices, which is super important to me. Click this link to get $15 off your first order.

Disclaimer: by clicking links in this post and making a purchase, I will receive some compensation that is used to offset the costs of running this blog. Thank you for your support and help in keeping this blog free of annoying ads!

Maple Jerk Salmon with Cucumber Melon Salsa

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 2 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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For the salmon:

• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Caribbean Jerk Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, peeled & chopped fine
• 2 1/4-lb. salmon fillets

For the salsa:

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cucumber
• 1 cup chopped fresh cantaloupe (or other melon of choice)
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• About 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (or sub parsley or cilantro leaves)
• 1/2 – 2 teaspoons finely chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, seasonings and garlic. Use a silicon brush to brush the salmon pieces with the marinade. Cover and set in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours. Save any extra marinade for later.
2. Preheat the oven (or toaster oven) to 325 F. Set the marinated salmon on a small baking sheet. If there is any marinade left, brush that on top. Bake at 325 for 7 – 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your salmon, or just until it flakes with a fork.
3. While the salmon is baking, stir together the salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Top the hot roasted salmon with the fresh cool salsa and enjoy!

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2019, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 salmon steak with 1/2 the salsa

Look at how perfectly moist and tender each layer of the salmon is!