Chimichurri Salmon with Curry Smashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes 

Servings: 2

So this one goes straight to the roots of Overland Cookery, making incredible food in the outdoors easy. 

I’m using a cast iron griddle today, it ensures an awesome, crispy skin on the salmon but also doubles for breakfast duties. I went ahead and threw it directly on top of the grill and it worked great. 

So onto it, salmon with savory, curry-smashed potatoes, and a spicy mint chimichurri to cut through the richness of the salmon. A note from experience… make extra chimi as it’s always the first to go! 

Ingredients:

Salmon Filets

Fresh Mint

Fresh Cilantro

Shallot

Serrano Pepper

Pomegranate Seeds

Citrus Juice

White Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

New Potatoes

Madras Curry Powder

Canola Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Instructions:

1. The key to crispy salmon skin is to extract as much moisture from the skin as possible. Lay the salmon out and salt the skin aggressively. Allow the salt to absorb for 20-minutes, occasionally patting the skin dry with paper towels. 
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water on to boil and cook potatoes until just-tender. 
3. Place the cast iron griddle on the grill and heat for at least 10-minutes over medium-high heat. 
4. Prep the chimi. Coarsely chop the herbs, finely chop the shallot, and add diced serrano pepper to taste. Add everything to a bowl and toss with pomegranate seeds, fresh citrus juice, vinegar, olive oil, and a healthy pinch of salt. 
5. Time to cook the salmon. Pat the skin dry one last time, apply some canola oil to the griddle, and play the salmon on, skin-side down. Gently press on top of the filets to ensure the filet’s don’t curl up. Then, shut the grill off and cook the salmon, lid-odd, for approximately 15-minutes. There will be plenty of residual heat in the griddle to slow crisp the skin. 
6. Crank the grill back on to medium heat. Pour some canola oil on the other side and smash the potatoes on. The tots only need a few minutes, we’re just trying to get a nice, golden crust on them. Once one side is crisped, flip the potatoes over and add a healthy dash of curry powder, salt and pepper. 
7. Flip the salmon to cook the top side. This will only take a minute or two as it should already be nearly cooked through. 
8. Remove the salmon, add a drizzle of olive oil to the potatoes, and give the tots a final toss before removing. 
9. I like to plate by laying the salmon on top of the smashed potatoes, finishing with a healthy serving of Chimichurri. 

This one really steps up the outdoor cooking game up. Use frozen vacuum-packed salmon to extend the storage life, and pre—mix the chimi to cut down on prep in-camp. This recipe works great with other protein sources as well, including chicken, steak, or grilled tofu.