Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Deli-Inspired Sauce
It’s a catch at ‘Costa’ Costco where the deli meets the fish
At the crossroads of cost savings and bulk buying, some of the best pantry products are proudly pickled and packed. Perfect for the platter or the sandwich, it is rather awesome to think outside of the jar.
How does a symphony of sun-dried tomatoes and fire-roasted red peppers sound to the tune of a beautifully composed, yet easy-to-assemble, sauce? It sounds like the Mediterranean genre that’s perfectly paired with a piece of salmon.
Inspired by Italy — and more affectionately, the deli counter — this recipe unapologetically celebrates the journey to Costco and back with a quick, yet harmonious, marriage of jarred goods and sockeye salmon.
Whether to be snuck into the meal prep roster or made at a last minute’s notice, this no-fuss fish dish is equally enjoyable as one reserved for dinner guests.
NOTES
Sauce: The beauty is in the sauce recipe because it leverages ready-made, shelf-stable ingredients, tapping into their “embodied” flavour — packed umami goodness — to whip up an easy sauce.
The sauce also works quite well as an alternative to a marinara, if applied on pizza or tossed with pasta. And if you’d like to spread the sauce across several meals in the week, it can go with a myriad of proteins — just double the recipe of the sauce.
RECIPE
Serves 4 | Takes 25 Minutes | Simple & Speedy
INGREDIENTS
Salmon
- 4 Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Fillets, 4–6-ounce portions
- 1 small lemon, cut into slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sauce
- 1 cup fire-roasted red peppers, well-drained
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, well-drained
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 3 small garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 medium shallot, finely minced
- ¼ cup good-quality dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
Garnishes
- 1 small bunch of each freshly torn parsley and basil
- 2 teaspoons capers, well-drained
- 1 Whole Peperoncino, well-drained and sliced
- 2 Kirkland Signature Artichoke Hearts, well-drained and sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
- Salmon: Remove the fish fillets from the refrigerator and their packaging; leave them at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F fitted with a rack in the middle.
- Line a shallow baking dish or rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil and lightly coat it with olive oil; arrange half of the lemon slices on it.
- Pat the fish dry with a paper towel; place them on the foil skin-side down.
- Drizzle the fish with the rest of the olive oil and generously season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper; rub to thoroughly coat.
- Gather the sides of the foil up and over the fish until they are fully enclosed. Ensure slight room inside of the foil for steam to circulate.
- Place the fish in the oven for 15–20 minutes; cooking time will differ based on the thickness of the fillets.
- Once ready, remove from the oven and carefully unwrap to release the steam. Be mindful of the hot steam.
- Sauce: Meanwhile, in a mini food processor, blitz the fire-roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, fish sauce, and Dijon mustard until well blended. Set beside the stove.
- In a medium sauté pan over low heat, add the butter and sauté the garlic and shallot until slightly golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Turn the heat up to medium and add the white wine; cook for around 2 minutes until the alcohol has completely burned off.
- Pour in the fire-roasted red pepper mixture and stir to combine.
- Reduce to low heat and allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer; let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest, honey, and toasted sesame oil to combine. Set aside.
- Plating: Pour the sauce onto a platter and place the fish on top. Garnish with the herbs, capers, Peperoncino, artichokes, and the remainder of lemon slices. Serve with rice, polenta, or quinoa. Tuck in and enjoy!
