I love the combination of hot chiles with berries. No matter how you pair them, they always go well with salmon.
(Serves 6 small plates)

Ingredients

  • 1 eight ounce center cut Verlasso salmon fillet, skin off
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

For the Vinaigrette

  • 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of a sweet vinegar such as white balsamic or champagne vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon of Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the chili/berry sauce

  • 1 cup fresh raspberries, washed and dried, chopped
  • ½ tablespoon chipotle chile, packed in Adobo, finely chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • Juice from 1/3 of a lemon
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
  2. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.
  3. Place the raspberries and chipotle chile in a saucepan with the vegetable stock, thyme and half of the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, reduce to the consistency of a very thick sauce, about 10 minutes. Use the remaining lemon juice to flavor the sauce to taste depending on the sweetness of the raspberries. Remove from heat. Remove the thyme sprig.
  4. Slice sweet potato into 1/8 inch rounds with a mandolin or vegetable peeler. Brush lightly with olive oil and put into 475°F oven for 10 minutes until cooked through. Brush lightly with vinaigrette on one side and put under broiler for about 90 seconds or until the potato has a nice golden color crust.
  5. Meanwhile, salt and pepper both sides of the salmon fillet. Cut into bite size squares about ¾ inch. Heat a small sauté pan at medium to high heat and add vegetable oil and butter. Sauté the salmon pieces for approximately one minute or until lightly browned.
  6. Place the potato round on a platter vinaigrette side up. Place a small dollop of the chili/raspberry sauce on potato and top with salmon. Sprinkle with the thyme and serve.