The Mediterranean diet is big right now, and it doesnt get any healthier than some tasty fish. You can bring a real zing to a grilled salmon with this preparation that uses greek yogurt dip also known as tzatziki as a delicious cold sauce for the fish. This yogurt dip is great on gyros, in pitas, on lamb burgers, or just as something to dip some baby carrots or pepper strips in. Be creative with it, its something you’ll definitely want to keep around, and it’s certainly become a staple in my fridge. If you get a tub of yogurt, you can just use that to store the rest of the tzatziki and it should keep for at least a week or two.
What You Will Need:
Serves 4
- 4 salmon filets, about 6-8 ounces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- sprinkle of marjoram, parsley and chives, preferably fresh
- salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ½ cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsps fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsps fresh chopped dill
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- cucumber slice and dill for garnish
- 1 tsp chopped mint
Instructions:
1Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs together and rub over the salmon, coating both sides nicely. Season generously with salt and pepper. Lay the salmon with the skin side facing up on a hot grill or in a pan over medium heat. Season the salmon again when you flip it if necessary, you definitely want it flavorful, then sear for about 3-4 minutes and flip once it’s nicely marked. Sear for another few minutes on the skin side and then transfer the salmon to a pan and roast in the oven for about 7-10 minutes depending on how done you like your salmon.
2While the salmon finishes, chop your cucumber and set it in a bowl, sprinkling generously with the salt. Let it sit for a bit so the salt will draw out the moisture. This keeps your dip from getting watery. Combine the ingredients for the tzatziki in a bowl and mix together well, adding more garlic if you like. Take the cucumber you salted earlier and give it a good squeeze to remove any lingering water, then add that to your dip. Remove the salmon from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes. Plate the salmon up and spoon a generous dollop of tzatziki over the top, garnishing with a sliced cucumber and a frond of dill. Delicious!
3If you want to get even more Mediterranean with this, I’d suggest pairing it with a nice pinot grigio, the crisp flavor will work great with this clean, crisp dish, and you can always throw a few vegetables like asparagus on the grill to go with your salmon and make a proper meal!
