Mango Glazed Grilled Salmon with Goat Cheese Slaw

This recipe is my entry for the Leftover Queen May "Royal Foodie Joust ". Last month's winner picked the three ingredients, brown sugar, mango and cardamon. All recipes submitted need to include these three. I was initially going to make a tart, which I still may experiment with as I have another mango on hand, but I decided to play with the idea of making a mango, fruit barbecue type sauce to glaze my salmon with. The end result is a bit on the spicy side, with a touch of sweetness from the sugar and banana. You could definitely tone it down if you wish. To cool the sauce down, the salmon is served with a mango, cucumber relish. To play off the barbecue theme, I added a side of slaw. I love goat cheese, so instead of mayo, I combined goat cheese with creme fraiche. You could easily substitute plain yogurt, sour cream or mayo for the creme fraiche. I really like the creamy texture along with the slight tang of the slaw. If you like your slaw a bit looser, just add more creme fraiche, or yogurt.

We picked a great night to grill out. It actually got warm here yesterday! I will definitely be making this again, warm weather or not!

Mango Glazed Grilled Salmon with Goat Cheese Slaw

this recipe serves 2 for the salmon and makes about 7 cups of slaw

2 salmon fillets (I used Alaskan wild sockeye from TJ's)

BBQ Sauce

this can easily be doubled and would be great with pork, chicken or even tofu!

3/4 of a champagne mango, diced( about a generous 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup dark rum

3 tbl. dark brown sugar

2 tbl mashed banana, the riper the better but any will do

zest and juice of 1 small lime

1/4 tsp cardamon

1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne, more or less to taste

pinch sea salt

The best way to prepare the mango is to slice lengthwise just about to the center pit on both sides, leaving a thin slice containing the pit. You will not use this piece. Hold the mango and carefully run your knife along the inside, just to the skin, and dice (like you would an avocado). Then gently push the skin in the opposite direction, exposing the diced pieces. You can now slice them easily from the skin.

Place all the ingredients for the sauce in the food processor and process until the mixture is pureed. Then add the mixture to a small, heavy sauce pan and cook on med high heat, stirring often, until it begins to thicken. This took about 12 minutes on my stove. Once it has thickens, I pushed it through a fine sieve to give it a smoother consistency.

When you are ready to cook the salmon, be sure the grill is cleaned and oiled. I also rubbed the salmon with a bit of olive oil and gave it a lit sprinkle of kosher flake salt. Place the fish on a nice, hot grill, skin side up, for about 7 minutes or until a nice crust has formed. Flip the salmon, brush generously with the sauce and continue cooking for about 7-9 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. I brushed the fish again, halfway through. When the fish is thoroughly cooked, remove and serve with a bit of the relish on top.

Mango Cucumber Relish

the remainder of the diced mango, about 1/4 cup
the same amount of peeled, diced cucumber
a splash of rum,about 1 tsp
a bit of brown sugar, about 1 tsp
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients ahead of time and let them sit in the fridge until ready to serve, giving the flavors a chance to get to know one another.


Goat Cheese Slaw
4 cups finely sliced green cabbage
3 cups finely sliced red cabbage
1 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely grated green pepper
4 oz goat cheese
4 oz creme fraiche
zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tbl
2 tbl lemon juice
3 tbl grapefruit vinegar, any fruity vinegar would be fine
salt and pepper to taste

I used the food processor to to all the slicing and grating to save time. You could certainly do this without one, just slice them finely. Place all the sliced veg in a large bowl.

Combine the goat cheese with the creme fraiche and stir until smooth. Then add the remaining ingredients and give a good stir. Add the the veggies and toss, then taste again for additional s & p. Let them sit in the fridge for a few hours to chill. Give them a good toss again before serving.