New York Times recipe: Grilled salmon with chilli, orange and mint

A buttery sauce run through with vibrant citrus and mint brings an easy elegance to this salmon. Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you: there’s lots of flavour here. The red-pepper flakes give off a subtle heat, while orange zest and fresh mint cut the richness of this superbly fatty fish. A crisp green salad or sauteed asparagus would work well alongside, as would a glass of crisp, chilled rosé.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp unsalted butter

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 ½ teaspoons orange zest

2.5 tbsp finely chopped mint

Salt flakes and black pepper

4 salmon fillets (140g-170g)

Flaky salt, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

Step 1 Turn on the grill and position the oven rack to sit about 15cm below it.

Step 2 In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add red pepper flakes, and cook for about 1 minute. Remove butter from heat, and stir in orange zest and 1 ½ tablespoons mint. Set aside.

Step 3 Season salmon well with salt and pepper and place skin-side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Spoon butter mixture evenly over the top of each fillet.

Step 4 Grill salmon for 4 to 6 minutes until the skin becomes opaque and the fish appears flaky. It should be medium-rare in the thickest part of the fillet. If you prefer your salmon a bit more cooked, leave it in for another minute or so, moving it to a lower rack if the tops get too dark. Serve, and scatter with remaining mint. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

Serves 4

Total time: 15 minutes

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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