Pan-Seared Salmon with Corn and Poblano Salad

Wild-caught California salmon is one of the culinary highlights of summer in the Golden State. A fresh corn salad with a Mexican accent is the perfect complement and would be just as compatible with halibut fillets, scallops, or shrimp. Pair with your favorite Temecula Valley Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc.

Ingredients:

Salad: 

• 2 large poblano or Anaheim chilies 
• 2 ears yellow corn, husked 
• 1 cup (40 g) very coarsely chopped cilantro 
• ½ small red onion, chopped 
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• Juice of 3 limes, or more to taste 
• 1 large avocado, ripe but firm, diced 
• 3 ounces (2/3 cup/85 g) coarsely crumbled queso fresco 
• Kosher or sea salt 
• 1 serrano chili, finely minced (optional) 

•  4 six-ounce (175 g) skin-on salmon fillets 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• Lime wedges for serving 

Serves 6

Directions:

Make the salad: Preheat the broiler. Put the poblano or Anaheim chilies on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until blackened on all sides. Let cool, then peel, remove stems and seeds, and dice. Turn the oven to 425°F (220°C). 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add the corn to the boiling water and boil 30 seconds, then remove the ears with tongs and plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain when cool and pat dry. With a chef’s knife, cut away the kernels. You should have about 2-1/2 cups (350 g). 

In a large bowl, combine the diced poblano or Anaheim chilies, corn, cilantro, red onion, olive oil, and juice of 3 limes. Add the avocado and queso fresco and toss gently.  

Season well with salt and add more lime juice if desired. If the salad is not spicy enough for you, stir in some or all of the minced serrano chili.  

Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast-iron skillet and put the skillet in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Season the salmon with salt. Place the fillets in the skillet, skin side down, and bake until they just flake when probed with a paring knife, about 10 minutes.  

Serve salmon immediately with the salad on the side. 

Suggested pairings:

Sweet Oaks ~ 2018 Pinot Noir– This popular wine has hints of ripe raspberries and clove, and mingled with a hint of sweet, new French oak and sagebrush. There’s an intriguing note of crushed spices and pomegranate as well. 

Wiens Family Cellars ~ 2019 Pinot Noir- This wine offers beautiful aromas of cranberry and rose petal, red cherry on the palate, and cinnamon bark on the finish.

Callaway Winery ~ 2019 Sauvignon Blanc – Filled with crisp and clean aromas of white nectarine, crunchy pear and honeydew melon the palate is all wrapped up with refreshing lemon grass and fresh herbs.

Danza del Sol~ 2021 Sauvignon Blanc – This popular Sauvignon Blanc is sure to delight the senses with its beautiful aromas.

Recipe and photo courtesy of The Wine Institute of California