A Fish Tale

Have I told you about this before? I have a vague memory that I wrote about this salsa that makes fairly bland fish into a feast, but I can't find the post, so here we go again.

Browsing the seafood offerings at my local market, I spied some fresh, wild swordfish with the green tag that means it was sustainably caught. Because swordfish is one of my very favorites, I snagged a big piece for dinner that night. I broiled it since the weather was not conducive to grilling outdoors, and topped it with this fresh, light salsa that, to me, is the essence of summer cooking. 

I found this recipe on epicurious.com a million years ago; it's a perennial favorite. It enhances any mild, white fish and flips it from boring to happy in an instant. The cucumber lends a juicy, crisp crunch, the onion a savory layer, the mint a hint of summer, and the vinegar-sugar a sweet-tart vibe that dances on the tongue. It's cheerfully colorful, too, which is an improvement over plain, white fish.

Oddly, I think it might be good on  grilled pork tenderloin, too, and maybe even lamb chops; gonna try that soon. Stand by.

Mint Cucumber Salsa, adapted (stolen) from epicurious.com

3/4 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber (the easiest way to seed cucumber is to slice it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon)

6 Tbs minced red onion

3 Tbs fresh chopped mint leaves

1 Tbs white wine vinegar

1.5 tsp olive oil

1.5 tsp sugar (or less - I usually use just 1 tsp)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside to "mingle" for a few minutes. Can be made up to 2 hours ahead, kept at room temperature.

Grill or broil (or even steam) firm-fleshed white fish such as mahi-mahi, swordfish, halibut. Top with salsa and serve. Easiest recipe ever, and it's a winner!