2 salmon steaks or fillets, skin removed
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon fine ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
Dirty Rice
1/2 cup long grain white rice, washed in cold water
1 celery stick
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup sausage meat, crumbled
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
water or chicken stock, 1 1/2 cups
Preparation
Set the oven to 450F or the BBQ to high. If you’re panfrying, use an oil that works well at higher heats, like grapeseed oil. (Sunflower or safflower oil also work.) After your prep, heat the pan very hot just before cooking.
Crush or mince the garlic thoroughly. A mortar and pestle are ideal for crushing the garlic and mixing in the spices. Otherwise crush into a small bowl, and mash in the spices with a fork. A little oil may be added if the garlic is too dry to bind the mix.
Rub a generous coating onto the fish. Extra spice mix will keep for ages in the refrigerator and can be used with virtually any fish or seafood.
Bake or BBQ (10 minutes for each inch of thickness) or panfry until completely seared. If panfrying the fish will stick to the pan at first, but when completely seared it will release easily.
Dirty Rice
Heat a skillet until very hot; add the sausage meat and brown thoroughly, breaking up any lumps that form in the pan. Taste the sausage meat for saltiness. Add onion, celery and bell pepper and cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the washed, drained rice and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes. Carefully add 1 cup of the water or stock to the pan and stir to deglaze the pan (get up all the brown bits). Add salt sparingly, depending on what you discovered about your sausage; add pepper to taste. Add the bay leaf; bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to minimum.
Cover it tightly and check it in 10 minutes–if there is no water or stock left, add a little more and cover again for 7 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir and fluff with a fork. Keep covered until serving time.
