When peach season comes to the Happy Valley, we feast on peaches. Peach pie, peach cobbler, peaches with Amaretti, grilled peaches brushed with Amaretto, peach salads, peach sauces, and Peach Salsa. Fresh juicy peaches and rich salmon are a perfect match. Refreshingly sweet, salty, juicy, and crunchy, this colorful recipe is a seasonal variation on the Teriyaki Salmon with Mango Salsa on this website. Use fresh ripe locally grown peaches if available. I prefer to use sustainably raised delicately flavored Faroe Island salmon which is quite moist when cooked due to the high-fat content of its flesh, but any salmon will work.  Some flavorful and more colorful wild salmon varieties might be a bit drier, so be careful not to over-cook.

Maple Glazed Salmon with Peach Salsa
Serves 4

Maple Syrup Marinade for Salmon
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 2-tablespoons soy sauce

• 1-2 teaspoons grated ginger

• a few drops of fresh lemon juice

• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sesame oil

• 1 ½+ pounds of salmon (depending on your appetites) 

Preparation:

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients and mix well.

2. Pour the marinade over the salmon fillets and cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or preferably more. (up to 4 hours) 

While the salmon is marinating, make the Peach Salsa. 

Peach Salsa
Ingredients:

• 3 ripe peaches pitted and coarsely chopped; skin removed (see *Note)

• 1 teaspoon fresh mint chopped (more to taste)

• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped (more to taste)

• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion

• 2 tablespoons chopped sweet red bell pepper, or Cubanelle pepper if available

• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon minced seeded serrano or jalapeño chili (more to taste)

• ½ teaspoon grated lime peel

• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• toasted sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

Preparation: 

1. Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. 

Cook the Salmon:
Preheat your grill to about 400 degrees; if using the oven preheat to 375.

1. Once the grill is at temperature, oil the grates or grill pan if you’re using one.

2. Grill the salmon skin-side down for 5-7 minutes with the grill covered, or until the salmon flakes easily and separates easily from the skin using a spatula.

3. If using the oven, you can use a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup); cook for 10 minutes, and check to see if the fish flakes easily. Depending on the thickness of the fillets, if not done, continue cooking for 3-5 minutes and check.

4. Once the salmon flakes easily, you can brown and caramelize the surface of the salmon under the broiler for a minute or two monitoring carefully so you don’t char it. (optional) 

Remove the salmon from heat and serve topped with 1 or 2 tablespoons of peach salsa.  Brown or white rice and Sugar Snap peas and/or a green salad accompany this dish well. 

*Note: the easiest way to skin peaches is to immerse them in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Remove from the water and dry them. After a few seconds, when you peel them, the skin will slip off easily. 

Wine Pairing: to compliment the sweet-salty richness of the maple glazed salmon and bright freshness of the peach salsa, choose a wine with some body and good fruit, but not so minerally and acidic that it competes with the salsa. I like a Viognier with this dish, or a very dry Riesling might also work. If you prefer a more minerally wine with more acidity, you could try a Sauvignon Blanc, Spanish Albariño or Verdejo, or Italian Vermentino.