Fish is one of those things that everyone says they want to make more often. I know I do. Healthy for you, fast to prepare and usually a hit, I always intend to cook it more frequently than I do. Truth be told, the reason is a matter of convenience and cost. I typically do my main grocery shopping once a week, and often at a place without a proper fish counter or one that leaves something to be desired. And when you factor in buying sustainable fish, you’re looking at wild caught varieties or the ethically farmed ones, and it can become expensive. So I fall back on tilapia most of the time, or defrost something frozen, but am always so happy when I throw fish into my kitchen rotation.
But I was on vacation last week in Maine, and seafood was a daily part of our eating. From lobster rolls, to fried clams, to haddock tacos, I was in heaven. We rented a cottage right on the water, with a tree house and plenty of rocks to climb on and tide pools to explore. Although I had a list a mile long of places to go, we ended up hanging out most of the time in this picture postcard setting.
With a view like this, I never wanted to leave Maine
And as luck would have it, there was an amazing deal on wild caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon at the local market. As part of my arsenal I happened to pack a selection of spices, which worked out perfectly for this recipe which is a tried and true favorite. My sister-in-law started making a version of this years ago for family gatherings, and I’ve adapted it only slightly. As I wrote about recently, I toast and grind my own cumin and coriander for this recipe, which is such a simple step that coaxes out amazing flavor from something that can be stored in your pantry. (If this sounds like a deal breaker for you, I am all for using already ground spices so please don’t tune out!) I switch the paprika to smoked paprika, double the amount of spices, and keep it simple by just roasting the fish on its own….