Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Panini-grilled Salmon Steaks

Fish is one of my favourite meats. I love the subtle flavour differences that are found in each different type of fish, and the spices or herbs that you can add only increase that flavour. Plus, as a bonus, it’s usually pretty easy to prepare a meal featuring a fish fillet or steak.

This panini-grilled salmon steak meets each of those criteria; it’s full of flavour, and it’s just about one of the easiest fish recipes I know.

I love using this sweet and spicy rub on salmon. The flavours from the sugar and chili powder seep into the salmon as it cooks, giving the entire piece of fish a nice, subtle flavour. I usually use the rub on a fillet of salmon when barbecuing, but it works great on a salmon steak, too.

Recently, I had a couple of salmon steaks on hand and was craving that taste of grilled sweet-and-spicy salmon. But it’s very cold where I live right now, and there was no way I was going outside to use the barbecue.

So, I looked for alternatives. Luckily, I found one.

Using my panini grill worked out wonderfully. It cut down on the cooking time of the fish, the flavours didn’t escape, and it was a very easy cleanup. It’s definitely a route I would recommend taking if you’re looking for a quick, easy weeknight meal with a grilled quality.

Sweet and Spicy Panini-grilled Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Up to six salmon steaks

Directions

1. Preheat your panini grill. If your grill has optional settings, set the heat to high.
2. In a small bowl, mix your brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
3. Rub the spice mixture onto the flesh on both the top and bottom of the salmon steak.
4. If you like, you can brush oil or spray non-stick oil onto your grill. I didn’t have any trouble removing the salmon or cleaning the grill without oil, though, so feel free to skip this step.
5. Place your salmon steaks on the grill, making sure not to crowd them. Close the lid on the grill and let it sit for five to eight minutes, or until the flesh of your salmon flakes. If you can’t fit all of the salmon steaks on the grill at once, remove the ones you have cooked and cover them with foil while cooking the others.