I know there are already hundreds of salmon recipes out there, but I'm always looking for more. It's such a versatile fish that can easily be dressed up or down and it always tastes great. To venture away from the normal miso salmon that I always make, I decided to go Hawaiian. Inspired by Hawaiian shrimp, I used the same flavors to create Hawaiian-style salmon. Baked garlic butter salmon with a caramelized Meyer lemon relish? Yes, please!
Hawaiian-Style Salmon
Ingredients
Hawaiian style salmon
- 1 lb salmon
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper
Caramelized Meyer lemon relish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ Meyer lemon thinly sliced
- 4-5 jalapeno slices seeds removed if desired
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the salmon on a baking sheet and season the salmon with salt and pepper. Combine the softened butter with paprika, cayenne, and garlic. Spread the butter on top of the salmon and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the desired degree of doneness.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the lemon and jalapeno slices and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the juices from the salmon along with the chopped cilantro. Drizzle the relish on top of the salmon and serve with the caramelized lemon slices if desired.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Do you know those recipes that only have a handful of ingredients but still taste great? Yup, this Hawaiian-style salmon is one of them. If you ever visited Giovanni's shrimp truck in Hawaii, you'll know that it's a fairly basic dish. It's basically shrimp dressed in spices, butter, and a good amount of butter. Although it seems just ordinary, it's really delicious.
And so, I thought to myself, why not make a similar dish but with salmon? To prepare the recipe, first, make a flavored butter. Mix together softened butter with paprika, cayenne, and minced garlic. Spread the butter on the fish in one even layer. This Hawaiian-style salmon is mild so if you want to kick it up a notch, add more cayenne.
Pop the salmon in the oven and bake until the desired degree of doneness. Meanwhile, make the caramelized Meyer lemon relish. You might be hesitant to make the relish but the acidity and herbs really help balance the flavors.
Caramelize the thinly sliced Meyer lemon along with the jalapeno until charred. Pour back the juices from the salmon including all that melted butter goodness with the Meyer lemons and jalapeno. Stir in the chopped cilantro and give it a final seasoning. At this point, you can finely chop the lemon slices or leave them as is.
Spoon that delicious Meyer lemon relish on the Hawaiian-style salmon and serve with a bed of rice. If you want to go full Hawaiian, have a side of macaroni salad on the side.
This recipe may be loosely based on Hawaiian garlic shrimp but it's just as delicious. Loaded with flavor from just a handful of ingredients!
For more salmon inspiration check out these smoky cilantro salmon burgers!
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