Grilled Salmon with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Feliz de Cinco de Mayo!  To celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year, I decided to forgo the cheese, beef and tortillas.  I wanted to capture the flavors of Mexico and combine them with fresh, light ingredients.  One of my favorite chefs is Rich Bayless and one of my favorite things in the world is grilled fish.  Bayless' roasted tomatillo salsa was the inspiration for this dish.  In my opinion, this salsa is the perfect topping for grilled salmon.  The spiciness of the salsa pairs perfectly with with richness of the fish.  To plate the dish, I sliced a fresh avocado, placed the salmon on the avocado and then topped the salmon with tomatillo salsa and some fresh cilantro.  The entire family loved the dish (I left the salsa off for the kids)!

Fresh Tomatillos!

Ingredients:
4 Medium fresh tomatillos, husked and cut in half
2 large garlic cloves
2 Serrano chillis or 1 jalapeno stemmed and coarsly chopped - if you want the salsa less spicy, seed the chillis. I usually seed one chilli
1 thick slice of white onion
1/3 cup of coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lime
Salt
Pepper
4 Salmon fillets (thick cut with skin on)
1 ripe avacado

Directions:

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Place the tomatillos and the garlic cut side down in the pan.  Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, turn and cook the other side for another 3 minutes or until the tomatillos are soft and cooked through.  Remove the tomatillos and garlic from the pan and allow to cool.  Add the slice of onion to the pan and cook until well browned on both sides and almost cooked through.  When the tomatillos have cooled down, place them in a blender with the garlic, water, cilantro, chillis and the juice of half of a lime.  Blend until the salsa is smooth but still coarse.  Add the onion to the blender and pulse a few times until the salsa is well mixed.  Add salt to taste and pulse a few more times.  Pour the salsa into a bowl and break out the chips!  Yes you need the salsa for the salmon but I usually can't wait, plus it's a great way to taste the salsa to make sure it's seasoned correctly.

Preheat the grill to medium high.  Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper.  Place the Salmon fillets skin side down on the grill.  Top the salmon with some of the salsa.  Grill for about 4 to 5 minutes and then flip the salmon over.  Grill for an additional 3 minutes.  Remove the salmon from the grill.

Slice the avocado and place on a plate.  Carefully remove the skin from the salmon.  It should come off very easily.  Top the avocado with the salmon then spoon some of the salsa onto the salmon.  Top with some fresh cilantro and serve.  Mix up a pitcher of margaritas and enjoy!