Chef critique
Basque Grilled Sockeye with Charred Corn Pipérade
A vibrant and flavorful weeknight dinner that makes excellent use of the grill. The timing and flavor pairings are very strong. However, the recipe skips a crucial step for the pipérade—peeling the blistered pepper and tomato skins—which will negatively impact the texture, and the instructions for grilling the onions could be refined to prevent them from falling through the grates.
Score: 8/10
Suggested fixes
- Add an instruction to place the blistered peppers in a covered bowl for 5 minutes to steam, then peel and discard the charred skins from the peppers and tomatoes before dicing.
- Suggest skewering the onion rounds with toothpicks, grilling them on a piece of foil, or cutting the onion into wedges with the root intact to keep them from falling apart on the grill.
- Adjust the acid by adding the vinegar first, and then adding the lemon juice 'to taste' to ensure the pipérade isn't too tart.
Issues
- medium / ingredient_usage: The instructions say to grill the peppers and tomatoes until blistered/charred, and then dice them. Leaving the charred, papery skins on blistered peppers and tomatoes results in an unpleasant, chewy texture and an overly bitter flavor. They should be peeled before dicing.
- low / cookability: Grilling 1/2-inch onion rounds directly on the grates is difficult, as the rings easily separate and fall through the grates into the fire.
- low / flavor: Adding both 1 tablespoon of vinegar and the juice of a whole lemon to the pipérade may make the mixture overly acidic.
Strengths
- Excellent use of fresh, seasonal summer produce.
- Smart workflow, utilizing the time the salmon marinates to prep vegetables, and doing all the cooking on the grill.
- Accurate and helpful temperature guidelines for the sockeye salmon to prevent overcooking this lean fish.
- Flavor profile is highly appealing, balancing the rich salmon with sweet corn, smoky paprika, and bright acid.