Salmon with Adobo Sauce and Blackberry Cucumber Avocado Salsa

Savory Summer Magic

This Salmon with Adobo Sauce and Blackberry Cucumber Salsa is one of my favorite dishes to enjoy during the summer berry season. Bright pink salmon, smothered in a spicy adobo sauce and pan-fried until it's skin is delightfully crisp, it’s flesh tender, and the air is spicy with aromatics. The sweet + citrusy flavor of the Blackberry Cucumber Avocado Salsa helps temper the heat, and pairs just as perfectly with this salmon as it does scooped onto tortilla chips -- so make extra because you're probably going to eat half of it before it ever reaches the salmon!

What is adobo?

Adobo can refer to both a cooking technique as well as a sauce or seasoning. The adobo cooking technique is thought to have originated in both the Philippines and Spain, separately, as a method of preservation before modern refrigeration was possible. Meat and fish were preserved in a salt and vinegar-based sauce when warm temperatures make storing meat safely difficult. In the Philippines, the sauce was often seasoned with black peppercorns and bay leaves and in Spain, the sauce was often seasoned with paprika, oregano, and garlic. Though modern refrigeration is used for adobo now, the marinading of meat in a spiced vinegar-based sauce is still a common technique in both cuisines.

Adobo can also refer to a sauce or seasoning mix itself, rather than a technique. The type I use as a base in this recipe takes roots in Latin American cuisine as chipotle chiles en adobo, a combination of smoked jalapeno peppers that are stewed in a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic, paprika, vinegar, and salt. When combined with an additional measure of garlic, spices, and some citrus, this sauce is particularly delicious on fish.

My Adobo Sauce Ingredients

• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - smoked jalapeno peppers stewed in a sauce with tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and spices provide the base for this sauce. These are easily found in most grocery stores in the International food aisle and are often packaged in a can. A little really goes a long way with these spicy peppers, so you will need no more than 3 peppers plus a bit of sauce to really pack a proper punch in this Adobo sauce.
• Garlic oil - I generally use garlic-infused oil (like this one) though you can feel free to substitute whole garlic + olive oil if you prefer. I’ve included a measurement for this swap in the recipe below.
• Lime zest - The natural oils in lime zest really brighten the recipe up and add delicious aromatics. Make sure that you are only zesting the green part as the white flesh is bitter. One of the most well-loved tools in my kitchen is my citrus zester.
• Coriander - Though produced from the same plant as cilantro, coriander has a very different flavor profile. It adds mild citrusy undertones to this dish that play up the lime zest well.
• Sea Salt - Good salt can make a world of difference in any dish. Salt acts to enhance the flavor and balance any bitterness you may get from the chili peppers.
• Cracked Black Pepper – Keeping peppercorns on hand for my grinder seems like such a simple thing, but it’s so much better than the preground alternative. These are the peppercorns and grinder I use.
• Food Processor – Though technically a tool, not an ingredient, it is essential that you have a food processor or blender to make this recipe.

Balancing the heat

I consider the adobo sauce by itself to be quite spicy for my medium-hot palate, so bear that in mind when you dip a spoon in for a taste before adding to the salmon. However, capsaicin, the natural compound responsible for a chili pepper’s heat is tempered somewhat when paired with fat or acid, so the heat from the sauce is tempered by the naturally fat-rich salmon.

The Blackberry Cucumber Avocado Salsa further tempers the heat with an infusion of natural acidity. I make mine with a combination of cucumber, fresh summer blackberries, creamy avocado, cilantro, salt, and both the juice and zest of a lime.

What to serve this Salmon with Adobo Sauce and Blackberry Cucumber Avocado Salsa with?

Because this dish packs such a bold spicy flavor, I prefer to serve it with a simple side. This Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice is my favorite option to pair with this as it provides a great base for soaking up all of the delicious sauce and oils from the fish, with a bit of citrus to further temper the heat a bit. Other great options are to serve this fish in corn tortillas, with grilled veggies, or a simply dressed green salad.

WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?

• A food processor or blender
• A cutting board
• A chefs knife
• A citrus juicer
• A citrus zester
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• A basting brush
• A cast-iron pan or other oven-safe pan (must be safe for 425 degrees F)
• A fish spatula
• A meat thermometer

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

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