This chili kumquat salmon with pickled kumquat & kale salad is exactly what you need to inject some excitement into your dinner game. It’s over-the-top delicious, quick, and different from the usual weeknight fare.
💕 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
🔥 How to Know When Salmon is Cooked
You can flake off a piece of the fish on the thickest end with a fork and if it flakes off easily, then it is done. Also, you know the fish is cooked if the skin peels off easily. You can use a spatula to check if the skin peels off.
Have you noticed the white protein that seeps to the surface of the fish? When you see this white protein, the salmon is done cooking. Don’t worry, it is safe to eat. This method is not a good indicator for other types of fish but works great with salmon.
Dyed Salmon: What to Look Out For
Some companies die their salmon to make it look red and fresh. It is important to know that not all salmon is dark red. There are different species of salmon and they vary in shades of orange, pink, and red.
The saying, ” the darker the salmon the more nutrients” is deceiving. If you are comparing two of the same species, then it is true. If they are different species, you cannot compare the colors. I use Copper River salmon because I know the quality is great. Keep your eye out for Copper River salmon in your grocery store.
More Fantastic Salmon Recipes
I have an entire category dedicated to delicious fish recipes. And if you love salmon, here are some blog favorites:
I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.
Chili Kumquat Salmon with Pickled Kumquat & Kale Salad
Print Recipe SaveIngredients
Chili Kumquat Salmon
- 1.5 lbs. coho salmon filet
- 2 oz. kumquats very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup honey
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
Quick Pickled Kumquat & Kale Salad
- 1 bunch lacinato kale chopped
- 2 carrots julienne
- 2 oz. kumquats sliced into quarter-inch thick chunks
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- If you’d like, cut your salmon into 4 steaks, each ~3″ wide. The benefit to cutting the salmon now is that it cooks faster. If you choose to leave it whole, it will take ~5 minutes longer to cook.
- Place your salmon on a baking sheet. (Line with foil for easy clean up.) Spread the honey over the salmon. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the honey, sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, and top with the thinly sliced kumquats.
- Place the fish in the oven. Cook 15-20 minutes if cut into steaks, 20-25 minutes if cooking the filet whole.
- In the meantime, add the thicker sliced kumquats to a saucepan. Cover with 1-inch of water. Bring to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain the kumquats. Place the drained kumquats in a bowl with the rice vinegar and brown sugar. Mix well and let the sugar dissolve. Add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add your kale and carrots to your serving bowl. Pour over the pickled kumquats & their pickling liquid. Mix well. Add your pistachios. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Serve your salmon on top of the salad, and serve both immediately. Enjoy!
Wow! One of the best salmon recipes I have tried in a while. Kumquats are abundant right now in my yard, so this was a perfect find! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing, Gina… I’m so glad you liked it!
thank you for giving me wonderful information
You are very welcome, Rohit 🙂