Garlic Crusted Chipotle Plank Salmon

Pairs well with:

Pinot Noir

Every pour of our Pinot Noir brings you a delicious blend of berry flavors and the romantic aroma of violet.

Living in the Las Vegas valley and loving southwest food, I was inspired several years ago to create a salmon recipe that was truly southwest.Salmon is rarely combined with spice, but my mix of flavors has been popular with friends. My recipe here is an adaptation of that recipe.

Ingredients:

Chipotle mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from the same can as chipotles
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Fried garlic nuggets

1/2 cup olive oil, such as Calavito
18 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Patties

2-1/2 lb. fresh wild king or sockeye salmon fillets, prepared per directions
2/3 cup red onion, minced
2 tablespoons TABASCO Chipotle Pepper Sauce
2 tablespoons Old Bay Rub
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt

Olive oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire
6 egg buns, split
1-1/2 cups cilantro, roughly chopped

Instructions:

Soak 2 cedar planks for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour if time permits, in a rack pan with water. Place a weight on the planks so they stay submerged.

To prepare the meat, skin and debone the salmon, cut into approximately 1 inch pieces, and freeze until semi frozen, about 25 minutes then refrigerate until ready unto use.

Prepare a medium charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium.

To make the chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotles in adobo sauce, adobo sauce, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender, and blend until smooth.

To make the fried garlic nuggets, heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a fire-proof skillet to 375 degrees on the grill. Fry the garlic to a light golden brown and remove to paper towels on a paper plate.

To make the patties, divide the salmon into 3 batches. Place each batch in a food processor and grind to a medium chopped, about 16 one-second pulses. Remove the cedar planks from water bath. Spread the ground salmon on a cookie sheet and add the minced onion, TABASCO sauce, Old Bay Rub, granulated garlic, coriander, and salt. Gently toss with salad forks until well mixed, divide the mixture into six equal portions and make patties. Place 3 patties on each plank, and drizzle each with a teaspoon of Worcestershire.

When the grill is ready, place the planks on the grill rack, cover and cook for about 14 minutes without turning until patties are slightly firm. Remove planks from grill back to a rack pan with just enough water to wet the bottom of the planks.

To assemble the burgers, spread each of the bottom buns with chipotle mayonnaise; add a patty and then more chipotle mayonnaise, and cover with garlic nuggets. Top with an equal portion of cilantro and the bun tops. Serve right away.