Roasted salmon with kiwi berry salsa – a honey-lemon glazed, roasted salmon, served with a tart kiwi berry, strawberry and corn salsa and a side of broccolini.
I’ve always loved sour and tart flavours. Barely ripe plums, granny smith apples, berries with a just a hint of tartness to brighten the sweetness. Lemons, pomelos, grapefruits and tangerines. Delightfully tangy sour cherries and green sour mangoes. Plain yogurt, kimchi and pleasingly sharp sour dipping sauces.
And vinegar. Any type of vinegar. All the vinegar…
I was around 7 or 8 when my mum caught me drinking vinegar straight from the bottle; and was not in the least bit sympathetic when I complained of a tummy ache a little while later. And to this day, as a grown, independent person, I still drink one tablespoon of vinegar for every tablespoon I use for a salad dressing. Especially if that vinegar is of the raspberry reduction kind…
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A Balance of Flavours and Textures
This roasted salmon with kiwi berry salsa is an exercise in flavour and texture balance, and it sits more in the tart camp than the sour one. Hey, even the creators of the sour warhead lollies knew you needed to balance the sour with some sweet. Right? Right.
The sourness of the lemon zest and roasted lemon juice on the salmon is tempered by some honey, and the bright tart kiwi berries and strawberries in the salsa are balanced by the crunchy raw sweetcorn and creamy avocado.
Add some just-roasted broccolini that you can cook on the same tray as the salmon, and you’ve got a complete meal.
What are Kiwi Berries?
The surprising little star of this dish are the kiwi berries.
If you haven’t come across them yet, kiwi berries are like miniature, fuzz-free kiwifruit. Around the size of a large green grape, they’re both sweet and acidic in flavour, with a more concentrated flavour than it’s larger counterpart.
Native to the cooler climates of northern Asia, kiwi berries are available for a remarkably short period of time; or at least here, where they’re not (yet) being produced out of season.
They seem to be gaining in popularity and availability, so if you haven’t seen them yet, keep and eye out for them. They are excellent in salsas and fruit salads, make for cute but flavourful cocktail garnishes, or great as a snack straight from the fridge.
If kiwi berries aren’t in season where you are and you can’t wait to cook this roasted salmon with kiwi berry salsa, you can substitute with a peeled kiwifruit.
Looking for more tangy fruit recipes? Try These:
- Drink: Citrus Black Tea Affogato
- Side Salad: Tomato, Peach and Burrata Salad
- Grain Bowl: Fruit and Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- Dessert: Peach Galette with Sour Cream Pastry
Salmon and Kiwi Berry Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 lemon + zest, divided
- 1 bunch of broccolini
- 4 salmon fillets
- 1 ear of sweetcorn, kernels removed
- 125 g kiwi berries, quartered
- 6 strawberries, quartered
- ½ an avocado, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C.
- In a small bowl, combine the honey, 2 tablespoon of the olive oil, garlic, and the zest from half a lemon. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Spread the broccolini out on a baking tray covered in baking paper. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the zest of the other half of the lemon, season with salt, and toss with some tongs to coat. Move the broccolini to one side of the tray, cut up the lemon into wedges and nestle them into the broccolini to roast.
- Add the salmon to the tray and baste each fillet thickly with the honey-lemon zest marinade. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets, or until the salmon is fork tender and just cooked through.
- To make the kiwi berry salsa, combine the kiwi berries with the corn, strawberries and avocado. Mix to combine and set aside.
- When cooked, remove the tray from the oven and squeeze 1 or 2 of the roasted lemon wedges over the salmon fillets.
- To serve, divide the salmon and broccolini between 4 plates, spoon over the kiwi berry salsa, and serve with the remaining lemon wedges.
Cook along with me
Notes
- If kiwi berries aren’t in season, you can substitute 1 peeled kiwifruit.
- If you serve the salsa with something else that isn’t so lemon forward, you might consider adding a squeeze of lemon before you mix it all together.
Nutrition
Linking up with Fiesta Friday, hosted by Angie. Go check out her wonderful recipes.
2 Comments
I’ve tried those little kiwi berries! I liked them so much I bought the plants. One of them croaked, so now I have a single huge kiwi berry plant that won’t give me any fruits since I need 2 to cross-pollinate, darn! Your salsa sounds so refreshing!
Oh no, that sucks! Hopefully you can get another one? I imagine they would be a brighter green and even more tart sweet fresh from the plant.