What's for Dinner? Rahm Salmon-uel

By Caitlin Klein in Food on May 16, 2011 7:00PM

For dinner this week, you get a heaping helping of new mayor. Delicious. Give our Rahm Salmon-uel a try. It's a little sweet, and a little fishy, but mostly just smoky and spicy. Just like the man himself.

Chicagoist's Rahm Salmon-uel (serves 2)

Ingredients
2 salmon filets
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons high quality smoked paprika*
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil

*It is critical to this recipe to get high-quality smoked paprika. So no, not that plastic container that's been sitting in your spice rack for three years. We found ours at Williams & Sonoma in Lake Forest - we thought Rahm would have liked that it came from the North Shore. But you can find it at almost any specialty grocery store.

Directions
Warm olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cumin, red pepper, flakes, and smoked paprika. Pour in orange juice and stir until well mixed.

Salt and pepper the salmon filets, and sear, beginning with the skin side up. For a four-ounce filet, you're looking at about 5-6 minutes on each side. When you flip with the skin side down, brush the orange juice-spice glaze over the salmon until each piece is completely coated. Continue to cook until the salmon is opaque and the glaze has thickened over the fish.

Carefully remove the salmon by sliding a spatula between the meat and the skin. Discard skin (or wear it over your face like a mask and scare the kids, that's your business) and plate the salmon filet, taking care to keep it intact.

All hail the new mayor!