Food Crush – Salish Smoked Sea Salt

Someone was asking me recently why I thought food memories are so vivid at times.  I think it’s because it involves so many different senses.  The smell that fills the room and eventually greets your nostrils and the presentation set out for your eyes to take in, the touch/feeling of the texture and bite and finally the actual act of tasting which is affected by all of the other senses. While there isn’t much to hear other than chewing or crunch, a great meal is usually shared and that’s where conversation plays into the vividness of the memory.  I might not remember the details of what was said, but I associate the warmth and comfort of my friendships with whatever I was eating.

I am constantly on a mission to share deliciousness with my friends and family. When I find an ingredient that I love I become almost religious in my fervency as I try to introduce them to something that brings me such pleasure.  If you share my love of food, this is a familiar circumstance.

My recent discovery is Salish Smoked Sea Salt.  It concentrates the perfume of a summer afternoon spent grilling into little crystals you can use long after summer has given way to the chill of fall and winter.  I was lucky enough to visit my friends Jed and Chris in Seattle last week.  My host gifts for them included a small jar of Salish.  On Sunday we took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to experiment with the salt as we grilled with a big group of friends.   One friend made a delicious seared tuna crusted with Salish and chili powder.  I used the salt to make halibut with a yogurt sauce everyone seemed to love.  It makes the perfect accompaniment to fish tacos though this time we just smothered the fish with the salt and topped it with cilantro.

A great starter for this dish would be my Avocado and Fig Salsa, and a side of cilantro lime butter smothered on grilled corn would make the meal complete.

Halibut Fish Tacos Recipe with Salish Smoky Yogurt Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
halibut fish fillets for 2
1/2 fresh lime juice
1/2 lime zest
ground salish salt to taste
cumin to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Salish Smoky Yogurt Sauce
4oz nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 fresh lime juice
1/2 lime zest
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salish salt to taste

cilantro

corn tortillas for tacos or lettuce for wraps
Directions:
Dry the halibut filets and coat with cumin, salish salt, pepper and lime zest.  Squeeze the fresh lime juice to coat.

Mix yogurt, chili powder, salish salt, lime juice and zest.  Set aside.

Heat a medium frying pan lightly coated with grapeseed or olive oil to medium/high heat.  Pan sear the halibut on each side until done. (time will vary according to thickness of the filet and personal preference)

Top the fish with the yogurt sauce and cilantro – serve with tortillas or lettuce for tacos or lettuce wraps. 

Special thanks to Jed and Chris for being such incredible friends and making sure my five days in Seattle were full of great food memories.  They bought a big box of gluten-free crackers before I arrived so we could eat them with cheese.  At the BBQ, Jed went to extra special effort to make sure no one contaminated dishes I wanted to eat with anything ‘gluten-y’.  I felt so cared for and loved.  I will have a vivid memory of all our meals together in Seattle for years to come.  It was truly a magical break from NYC.

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