It may sound odd, but being a pickle connoisseur seems to run in our family. My dad is very particular about his gherkin pickles and pickle relish. He’s partial to the Heinz brand and was dismayed when he discovered that Heinz was no longer making and selling Sweet Midget Gherkins in his area. Or anywhere else.

Fortunately, Eric and I prefer the sour spectrum for our pickles. We have a fondness for dill pickles. Kelly spent last summer working on her pickling recipe with fresh cucumbers and spices from the CSA. Knowing how much we enjoyed the pickles Kelly made, she bought Eric a jar of gourmet Polish dill pickles for his last birthday. They were crisp and refreshing with just the right blend of sweet & tart. We both enjoyed them and got down to the last one in the jar. I planned on using it in this intriguing salmon dish. Unaware of my plan, Eric decided to have that last pickle with his lunch. When I saw his intent for that last pickle, I made him return the jar to the shelf and slowly back away from the fridge.

In Eric’s defense, he was trying to help by clearing out the fridge after he had been away all week. He came across the pickle jar (even though I had hidden it in the back of the fridge) with that one lone spear in it and didn’t know that a pickle was one of the main ingredients in that night’s dinner. Fortunately, we enjoyed the salmon dish with the last of his gourmet pickles, so it all worked out in the end!

Salmon with Dill Pickle Butter

Salmon with Dill Pickle Butter (adapted from foodandwine.com)

Total Time Required: 20 minutes, Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup finely diced dill pickles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin on
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for rubbing

Directions:

Light the grill and set it to medium high heat. In a small bowl, blend the butter with the diced pickle, tarragon, and mustard, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the pickle butter ingredients.

The butter is ready for the cooked salmon!

Rub the salmon fillets with the oil and season them with salt and pepper. Grill the fillets over medium high heat with the skin side down for about 3 minutes, until the skin is lightly charred and crisp. Using a metal spatula, turn the fillets over and grill them until they are barely done in the center, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer the fillets to individual plates. Top each salmon piece with some dill pickle butter, allowing the butter to melt for a minute or two, then serve immediately.

Allow the butter to melt before serving the salmon.

Good to know how versatile pickles are!  ~Linda

Salmon with Dill Pickle Butter (adapted from foodandwine.com)

Total Time Required: 20 minutes, Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup finely diced dill pickles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 6-ounce salmon fillets, with skin on
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for rubbing

Directions:

Light the grill and set it to medium high heat. In a small bowl, blend the butter with the diced pickles, tarragon, and mustard, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Rub the salmon fillets with the oil and season them with salt and pepper. Grill the fillets over medium high heat with the skin side down, for about 3 minutes, until the skin is lightly charred and crisp. Using a metal spatula, turn the fillets over and grill them until they are barely done in the center, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer the fillets to individual plates. Top each salmon piece with some dill pickle butter, allowing the butter to melt for a minute or two, then serve immediately.